TIfE YKARS OK .MANY GKxNEKATlONS CONSIDERED : 
TWO 

SERMONS, 

PREACHED IN 

BOYLSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, 

October 17 and 24, 1852, 



A HISTORY OF THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AND MINISTRY 



IN SAID TOWN, 



AND ALSO EMBRACING MANY FACTS 



RELATING TO THE FIRST SETTLERS OF THE PLACE. 



/ 



WILLIAM II. SANFORD, 

PASTOR OK SAID CHURCH J 



IT BEING THE 



TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS SETTLEMENT, 



PUBLISHED BY REQUEST, 



WORCtt^TER : 
f. BUCKINGHAM WEBB, PRINTEE. 

1853. 




^1t 



Note. — In giving these discoursea to tlie publ.c, the Author would 
acknowledge his indebtedness, in collecting the facts which are contained 
in them, to "Ward's History of Shrewsbury," — "Willard's History of 
Lancaster," — " Davenport's History of Boylston," — Rev. Mr. Harring- 
ton's " Century Sermon" — and the " Memorial of the Morse Family," by 
Prof. Abneb Morse. 



S E R M N I 



DEUTERONOMY XXX. 7. 

V, - .1 THE DAYS OF OLD, CONSIDER THE YEARS OF MANY GENERA- 
!• ; ASK THY FATHER, AND HE WILL SHEW THEE ; THY ELDERS, AND 
^ a ■ WILL TELL THEE, 



Tiiiiitii is a peculiar and deep interest in searching 
ancient records, — in studying the customs, the princi- 
ples, the enjoyments, the sufferings, and the trials of 
those who have lived before us. And our interest is 
greatly increased when our investigations relate to 
those who are our immediate ancestors, — those who 
once filled the same places which we now fill, who 
travelled over the same territory, who cultivated the 
same lands, and gained their sustenance from the same 
soil. As there is a perpetual change in the scenery 
which meets our eye as we change from place to place, 
or in the habits, and practices, and notions of difterent 
communities as we mingle with different societies, so 
there is an unceasing variety in the condition and cus- 
toms of successive generations. Our fathers, in many 
respects, differed from us ; their fathers from them, and 
each preceding generation had its peculiarities. We 
enjoy all the advantages connected with the steam en- 
gine and the magnetic telegraph hardly thinking that 
these advantages have been denied to all preceding 



ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 



generations. If wc go back half a century, the most 
expeditious mode of travelling in this country was by 
stage, and the most expeditious mode of transmitting 
intelligence was by mail, and even these facilities for 
communication were very imperfect compared with 
their subsequent improvement. If we go back fifty 
years more, to the middle of the eighteenth century, 
we lose sight even of these defective modes of 
travelling and communication, and find every man de- 
pending upon private conveyance both for journeying 
and epistolary correspondence. Instead of the highly 
cultivated fields, — the rich, beautiful, and convenient 
dwellings, — the numerous villages and cities, — the ex- 
tended territory, stretching from the mouth of the Rio 
Grande, less than twenty-six degrees North latitude, to 
the British possessions in North America, or forty-nine 
degi'ees North latitude, and East and West from the 
Atlantic to the Pacific, interspersed with abodes of 
civilization and refinement, traversed in every direction 
by railroads and telegraphic wires, and competing with 
the most powerful and exalted nations of the old world 
in every thing that makes a people great and good and 
happy ; instead of all this there was the extended and 
unbroken forest, with here and there a rude dwel- 
ling, in which you might find tlie rustic cultivator of 
u small patch of half-subdued land before his door, the 
subject of a foreign power, whose oppressive enactments 
he had even at this early day begun to feel, but was 
too weak to resist. 

Fifty years earlier in our nation's history, and this 
town was probably without an inhabitant. I can find 
no record of any settlement within the present limits 
of Boylston which dates back earlier than 1705, one 
hundred and forty-seven years ago. Only four towns 



EARLV SETTLERS IN BOYLSTON. 



within the present limits of the County of Worcester 
were then incorporated, and neither of these embracing 
the same territory that it does now. These four 
towns were Lancaster, incorporated 1653 — Mendon, 
1667— Brookfield, 1673— and Worcester, 1684. Even 
the County of Worcester was not incorporated till 
twenty-five years after this date. Of these four towns, 
the history of Boylston is intimately connected with 
■that of Lancaster. The first permanent settlement 
that was made in Lancaster was about the year 1647, 
two hundred and five years since. A tract of land ten 
miles long and eight broad w^as granted to certain 
persons, one of whom was John Prescott, who was 
probably the first permanent white settler in the town 
of Lancaster. Others soon followed, among whom 
was Thomas Sawyer ; from whom descended the nu- 
merous family by that name in Lancaster, Sterling, 
Bolton and vicinity ; and his descendants were also 
among the first, if not the very first, to settle upon the 
territory embraced in this town. Thomas Sawyer, pro- 
bably a son of him who first settled in Lancaster, was 
in the north part of this town, at the place afterwards 
called Sawyer's Mills, as early as 1705, — this part of 
the town at that time being a part of Lancaster. This 
was about twelve years before the south part of the 
town, embraced subsequently in the town of Shrews- 
bury, was laid out in lots to the first settlers of that 
part of the town. Thomas Saw^yer was soon followed 
by others whose descendants are at the present time 
among the inhabitants.of the town. Many of these early 
inhabitants of our town, especially the north part of iit, 
were probably from Lancaster. The names of Sawyer, 
Ball, Moore, Stone, Newton, Houghton, Keyes, Ben- 
nett and Bigelow, are among the first settlers of liotb 



G ANNIVERSARY t-ERMUNS. 



towns, and arc jn-obably, in some cases the same ]ierson», 
and in others the descendants of the first inhabitants 
of Lancaster settled in that part of that town which is 
now the north part of Boylston. There can be but 
littk^ doubt that this was the manner in which that 
part of the town which was formerly Lancaster was 
originally settled. 

A few years later, a petition from persons residing 
in Marlborough was presented to the General Court, 
praying for a grant of territory lying between Marlbo- 
rough and Worcester, and Lancaster and Sutton and 
Hassanamisco (Grafton). This petition was received 
with favor, and in the year 1717 a committee was ap- 
pointed by the General Court to lay out this territory 
in lots to actual settlers upon specified conditions. This 
committee appear to have discharged their duties in the 
month of December, 1718. And several of the lots 
lying within the present limits of this town, were, at 
that time, received from this committee by persons who 
settled upon them and were the ancestors of many of 
the present inhabitants of this place. 

As early as 1659 a tract of land consisting of six 
hundred and fifty acres was granted by the General 
Court to Hichard Davenport, who emigrated from Eng- 
land to this country in 1628 with Gov. Endicot. He 
landed in Salem in September of that year, and was 
killed by lightning in Boston in 1665. His descend- 
ants, probably his grandsons William and Nathaniel, 
settled upon this tract of land in 1736. This lot 
(known for many years by the name of the " Davenport 
Parm,") was within the limits of the grant made to the 
proprietors of Shrewsbury, and is now, in part, owned 
and imjnoved by the descendants of the original owner. 
The names of the early settlers of the south part of 



EARLY t^E'lTLlORS IN BOYLSTON. 



this town, indeed of all that part which was within the 
limits of the grant made to the proprietors of the toAvn 
of Shrewsbury, were, in some cases, the same as of the 
present inhabitants of the territory. Among them we 
find the names of Andrews, Bennett, Bigelow, Bush, 
Flagg, Hastings, Howe, Keyes, Temple, and Taylor. 

The Andrews of this town at the present time, who 
are in middle life, and past it, are probably descend- 
ants of the sixth generation of Robert Andrews, who 
was in Ipswich in 1685. The Bigelows are probably 
the descendants of Samuel Bigelow, who was in Water- 
town in 1674, and whose grandson Joseph was settleil 
in Shrewsbury in 1729. 

Abiel Bush, the gi-eat-grandfather of the late Col. 
Jotham Bush, was married in Marlborough in 1688. 
His son, John Bush, settled in that part of Shrewsbury 
Avhich is now Boylston in 1729, and was the immediate 
ancestor of the family by that name in this place. 

The Flaggs of this town appear to have descended 
from Thomas Flagg, who was in Watertown in 1648, 
Probably Gershom Flagg, who was residing within the 
present limits of this town in 1729, was his great-grand- 
son, and the great-grandfather of the late Dea. Abijah 
Flagg, Jonathan Flagg, Joseph Flagg, and Calvin Flagg. 

The Temples of this town appear to have descended 
from Kichard Temple who was in Charlestown in 16-17 
and in Concord in 1657, whose great-grandson, Isaac 
Temple, born in Marlborough in 1703 and settled in 
the north part of Shrewsbury, now Boylston, in 1729, 
was the father of Aaron Temple, who was born within 
the limits of this town in 1739 and the grandfather of 
Capt. Emory Temple. 

Robert Keyes, who was in Watertown in 1633, was 
the grandfather of Thomas Keyes, Avho was born in 



8 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 



Sudbury in 1674 and was in this town in 1729. His 
sons were Jonathan, Cyprian, and probably Henry 
Keyes, the father of Simeon Keyes, who was the father 
of Mrs. Patridge, late of this town. 

The Brighams of this town probably descended from 
Thomas Brigham, who came from England and settled 
in Cambridge about the year 1642. John Brigham, 
the grandson of Thomas, was the head petitioner for 
the township of Shrewsbury in 1717 and was settled 
there in 1718. 

The genealogy of the families of others of the early 
settlers of this town, whose descendants I now see 
before me, I am unable to trace. 

As early then as 1718, in both the northern and south- 
ern parts of this town, there were settled permanent 
residents. It is worthy of remark that both in Lancaster 
and Shrewsbury special care was taken to provide for 
the institutions of the gospel and for the education of 
the young. Winthrop observes in reference to Lancas- 
ter, that, as early " as 1644, many from Watertown and 
other towns joined in the plantation at Nashaway (Lan- 
caster), and, having called a young man, a ' university' 
scholar — one Mr. Norcross, to be their minister, seven 
of them, who were no members of any churches, were- 
desirous to gather into a church estate." Such were the 
strict Puritan notions, even of men who were not con- 
nected with the church, that the ministry and the 
institutions of the gospel must be sustained. And ta 
these Puritan principles must be ascribed, to a great 
extent, the unparalleled prosperity of this nation, and 
especially of New England. 

In 1647 there Avas a formal grant made of the toivn 
of Lancaster (there being there at that time nine fami- 
lies,) to the inhabitants of the place, upon specified 



BOYLSTON BEFORE RECOMING A PRECINCT. 9 

conditions, one of which was, " that they were ordered 
to take care that a godly minister be maintained 
amongst them," also " that no evil persons, enemies to 
the laws of this Commonwealth, in judgment or in 
practice, be admitted as inhabitants, and none to have 
lots confirmed to them but such as take the oath of 
fidelity." " A provision similar to this was common in 
the incorporation of other towns, and shows the great 
importance that was placed upon religion and habits of 
order ; that these were conceived to be at the foundation 
of all good government, that they reached the highest, 
mingled with the humblest, and exercised a controlling 
influence over the whole character of society."* 

In the original grant of the town of Shrewsbury 
there was a similar provision in reference to the sup- 
port of the gospel. The grant of the township was 
made with the provision that " they have there at least 
forty families settled, with an Orthodox minister, 
within the space of three years, and that a lot and other 
accommodations, as large and convenient as may be to 
the place will admit of in the judgment of said com- 
mittee, be laid out for the first settled minister, also a 
lot for the ministry, and another for the use of the 
school."! 

The history of this town, subsequent to the settle- 
ment of Shrewsbury, both civil and ecclesiastical, is 
connected with that of Lancaster and Shrewsbury, till 
174:2, when, by an act of incorporation, it became a 
distinct precinct. During this period, of about twenty 
years, but little can be learned of the distinct history 
of the town. In the general history of the country, 
during this period, we can learn many things which 
were familiar to the early residents of this place, and 

* Willard's History of Lancutler, p. 23. f History of yhrcwbbury, p. 0. 
2 



10 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 



which were regarded by them, at the time, as being in- 
timately connected with their happiness and prosperity. 
In their ecclesiastical relations they were connected 
with the Churches of Lancaster and Shrewsbury, the 
former under the pastoral care of Rev. Mr. Prentice, 
and the latter under that of Rev. Mr. Gushing. 

Every Sabbath the early settlers of this place might 
be seen, in their homespun, antique dresses, upon the 
backs of their horses, or on foot, moving in due season 
to the houses of worship in these two towns. At this 
early day there was no Church nor religious society or- 
ganized in this town, no sanctuary erected, no grave- 
yard selected. Even the roads could be nothing more 
than cart roads or bridle paths through the woods, and 
the dwellings, rude abodes, made of the rough materials 
around them, destitute of the beauty and ornament 
which adorn even the most ordinary of modern houses. 
Mills for grinding and sawing were early erected by the 
first inhabitants of this country, but they were necessa- 
rily few and far between ; ordinary in their construction, 
and could by no means answer the demand of the 
growing population, had their habits of living and mode 
of building been like that of their descendants at the 
present day. Early in the settlement of Lancaster, 
John Prescott erected a corn-mill and a saw-mill in the 
south part of that town. And, for many years, these 
were the only mills within the limits of the present 
County of Worcester. " People came from Sudbury to 
Prescott's grist-mill." It was many years after the last 
man of that generation had passed off the stage before 
the first cotton or woolen factory was built on this 
continent. 

The inhabitants of that day also suffered indescriba- 
bly from the fluctuating state of the currency. There 



PREVALENT RELIGION OP THAT DAY. H 

"vvas no stable circulating medium. The value of money 
ivas merely nominal. This evil begun to be felt as 
early as 1690, when bills of credit were issued in anti- 
cipation of taxes for the purpose of meeting certain 
pressing demands upon the public treasury. This prac- 
tice of issuing bills of credit, Avithout a specie basis, was 
continued for years, and was the cause of severe suffering 
among the early inhabitants of the country. The people 
of this town, at the period of which we are now speaking, 
must have felt this evil in common with the inhabitants 
of the rest of the colonies. The nominal value of jDaper 
was not the real value. The real value was perpetually 
changing, generally depreciating, till it became worth- 
less. This evil continued till 1759, when it was 
somewhat relieved by the importation of specie from 
England. It was again experienced by the revolution- 
ary patriots, by the issues of paper money to meet the 
expenses incident to the revolutionary war.* 

During this period also, the town of Shrewsbury 
was incorporated in 1727. In this transaction, of 
course, the people of this place were deeply interested. 
Four years later, the County of Worcester was incor- 
porated. Previous to this date, they belonged to the 
County of Middlesex. The religious doctrines of this 
community, during this period, Avere decidedly Calvin- 
istic. Willard, in his history of Lancaster, remarks 
that " the prevailing doctrines, from the beginning, 

* The following extracts from the Records of Shrewsbury and Boylslon 
■will give some idea of the fluctuating state of the currency : — 

Oct. 1777, The Church in Shrewsbury Voted £60, to furnish the com- 
munion the ensuing year. 

Oct. 23, 1780, The North Precinct in Shrewsbury Voted to their min- 
ister. Rev. Mr. Fairbanks, as his annual salary, tjjc sum of £6,2G7=!*<20,8'J0. 

They also allowed Capt. Ebenezer Ingalsbe £'iO=$GG 6G, for two 
days' work. 



12 ANNIVERSARY BERMONS. 

were those of Calvin. And most of the clergy m this 
vicinit}', who cnibracod the tenets of Arminius, soon 
found that the age had not arrived that would tolerate 
a departure from the metaphysical speculations of the 
old school. They were obliged, therefore, as honest 
men, to avow their sentiments, at whatever hazard, and, 
in consequence, to relinquish their pastoral relations to 
their persuasion of the truth." (p. 70.) 

This seems to settle the question as to the peculiar 
faith of the Church in Lancaster at the time of Mr. 
Harrington's ministry, which begun in 1748. Mr. Har- 
rington himself was probably not quite as Calvinistic 
as his church, but even he exhibited his opposition to 
Arminianism by voting against Mr. Rogers, an Armin- 
ian preacher in Leominster. In reference to the Church 
in Shrewsbury, with which the people of this place 
were more generally and more intimately connected, it 
was decidedly Calvinistic. In their covenant, adopted 
in the year 1723, they use this clear and decisive lan- 
guage, " We are of the judgment that the whole of the 
well known Westminster Catechism, as explained by 
Calvinistic divines, contains a just summary of Chris- 
tian doctrines, as revealed in God's holy word." 

There can be no question, then, as to the religious 
faith of the original inhabitants of this place. They 
were decidedly Calvinistic, or Orthodox and Puritanical. 
They embraced essentially the faith of the Puritans, 
who landed upon Plymouth rock in 1620. Very little, 
however, is known of the first settlers of this place 
beyond what I have here specified. Eecords, relating 
to this subject, are very rare, and those that are to be 
found are very deficient in the information which they 
contain. They inform us of the names of the original 
owners of the soil whicli von cultivate ; when thev 



ACT OF IxVCORPORATlON. 13 

came here ; with what particular towns they were con- 
nected ; what were some of their pecuharities ; where 
they worshipped God ; and what particuLar faith they 
adopted. Beyond this we can learn but little. Their 
every day acts, their trials and enjoyments, and their 
peculiar habits arc, to a great extent, buried in oblivion. 

Christian and especially sanctuary privileges were 
always regarded by the early inhabitants of Massachu- 
setts as first in importance. They were prepared to 
make any reasonable sacrifice for securing, perpetu- 
ating, and advancing these privileges. The early 
inhabitants of this town sympathized most heartily 
with the general feeling of the colony. They felt that 
these privileges must be secured. If necessary, they 
would go to Lancaster or Shrewsbury on the Sabbath 
to meet with the people of God ; but they preferred, 
even when they w^ere few in number, and limited in 
resources, to support the gospel ministry in some con- 
venient place of easier access. 

Prompted by these feelings, they begun to think 
as early as 1740 of becoming a distinct precinct. 
They petitioned the people of Shrewsbury to favor their 
object. This petition was uniformly opposed. Shrews- 
bury, at this early period felt weak, and determined 
not to give up the aid which she received from the 
citizens of this place, without strenuous resistance. 
The petition was repeated, but w^as voted down again 
in town meeting. At length the petition was forwarded 
to the General Court. Shrewsbury was summoned to 
show reason why the prayer of the petitioners should 
not be granted, and she chose a committee to oj^pose 
this petition before the Legislature. This opposition, 
however, w^as unsuccessful, the prayer of the petitioners 
was heard with favor, and this place was incorporated 



14 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

as the North Precinct of Shrewshury, Dec. 17, 1742, 
It is remarkable with what rehictance man gives up 
territory. Whether it be an individual, or a town, or 
a state, or a nation, this reluctance is equally manifest. 
The love of territory has deluged the earth with blood. 
Nations will freely give up their treasure and their 
best citizens for the sake of acquiring or retaining a 
tract of land which is liable to be lost. States and 
towns breathe the same spirit, and never give up till a 
higher power compels them ; and even the farmer, no 
matter how extensive his lands, desires more, can part 
with none, and, if needs be, will defend his small do- 
main by litigation the most expensive and vexatious. 

In the act of incorporation by which this place be- 
came a separate precinct, we notice the same jealous 
care that the institutions of religion be provided for 
and that they be perpetuated. In the report of the 
committee of the General Court, to whom was referred 
the petition of the people of this place for an act of 
incorporation, we find these words : — " And they (the 
committee) are further of opinion that the ministry 
lands, lying within the North Parish, should always be 
for the use and improvement of the minister for the 
time being that may be settled in the north part afore- 
said. And inasmuch as the south part have freely 
offered to allow the north part, on going off, in consid- 
ration of their right and interest in the meeting-house, 
a certain sum of money, we apprehend it will be but 
reasonable that they make payment thereof, viz. £32 10s 
lawful money, when the north part shall have erected 
and covered a suitable frame for a meeting-house for 
the worship of God among them, and that they be 
vested with the powers and privileges of a Precmct 
accordingly." 



RKSOLVE TO BUILD A MEETINGT-flOUSE. 15 



This report of the committee was accepted by the 
General Court and adopted as an act of incorporation. 
This act was accepted by the inhabitants of this 
place and its conditions complied with. The first 
meeting of the inhabitants of the precinct under this 
charter was Jan. 19, 1743, about a month after the 
charter was granted. At this meeting they simply 
organized by choosing parish officers, — Dea. John Iveyes 
moderator, John Bush clerk, and for parish committee, 
John Bush, Joseph Biglo, Dea. Cyprian Keyes, Joshua 
Houghton, and Abner Sawyer. The next meeting was 
the seventh of the next month, (February.) 

The action of the people at that meeting clearly in- 
dicates the spirit with which they intended to comply 
with the conditions of their act of incorporation. 1. 
Voted £26 8s old tenor, for eight days preaching past. 
These eight days must have included every Sabbath that 
there had been since they were incorporated. 2. Voted 
£50 old tenor, for preaching for the future. 3. Voted 
that Daniel Hastings, Abner Sawyer and Joseph Biglo 
be a committee to provide a minister. 4. Voted 
that the centre of the north precinct in Shrewsbury, 
that is south of the Quinnepoxet river, or the nearest 
convenient spot to the centre, be the place to set 
the meeting-house on. 5. Voted that Capt. Flagg be 
the surveyor to find the centre of the north precinct in 
Shrewsbury. 6. Jonathan Livermore was chosen in 
case Capt. Flagg fails this week. At an adjournment of 
this meeting to the 18th Feb. 1743, "1. Tryed whether 
they would adjourn the building of the meeting-house 
for the present, and it passed in the negative. 2. Vot- 
ed to build a meeting-house forthwith. 3. Voted to 
build said house forty-five feet long, thirty-five wide and 
twenty feet between joints. 4. Voted to choose a com- 



Ifi AxNNIVERSARV SERMONSi. 

mittcc to build said house, and that said committee shall 
have the frame of said house up and covered with 
boards and shinoics agreeable for said house, and rough 
boarded around the sides, by the first of June next." 
This meeting was on the eighteenth of February ; 
when these energetic and devoted men, few in number, 
weak in resources, in a new country which had but re- 
cently been broken by the plough, with a forest almost 
unbroken on every side of them, voted that they would 
erect and cover a meeting-house by the first of next 
June, a little more than three months. Those residing 
in tlie north precinct, who were the professed followers 
of the Saviour, and were in covenant relation with the 
church in the south precinct of the town, prepared a 
petition the next September, asking that their relation 
to said church might be dissolved, for the purpose of 
uniting with other professors in organizing a new 
church in the north precinct. This petition is found 
in the church records of Shrewsbury, and reads thus : — 
" To the church in Shrewsbury : A number of the 
members of the same, and dwelling in the north pre- 
cinct, in said town, wisheth grace, mercy and peace. 
Reverend, Honored and Beloved, — Whereas we, the 
subscribers, together with others of said precinct, 
and covenanting with us, are, as we trust, in God's 
providence, called to incorporate into a particular 
church imity of our Lord, — these are, therefore, 
humbly to request your leave therefore ; and that you 
grant us a dismission from you, and an interest in your 
prayers, that God would not only settle the gospel or- 
dinances and institutions among us, but also grant that 
pure religion might in this place flourish and abound. 
We subscribe ourselves your brethren in faith and fel- 
lowship. (Signed,) John Keyes, deacon, and twelve 



ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH. 17 

others. (Dated,) North Precinct in Shrewsbury, Sept. 
7, 174:3. This request appears to have been granted with 
out any opposition by the church in the south precinct. 
The next month, Oct. 6, 1743, the church in Shrewsbury, 
by their Pastor and delegates, assisted in organizing this 
church, which then consisted of nineteen male members, 
and which has been perpetuated till the present time. 

This was the early spirit of puritan Massachusetts. 
A community might be small, they might be poor, but 
never small enough, nor poor enough to live without 
the institutions of the gospel. For years, those nine- 
teen men had travelled for miles with their families on 
the Sabbath, to meet the people of God at His sanct- 
uary. They had travelled in different directions, some 
to Shrewsbury, and some to Lancaster ; but distance 
was by no means an insuperable obstacle. A spirit of 
true piety, like that which filled the hearts of the 
descendants of those who landed on Plymouth Rock in 
1620, shrinks from no hardship and refuses no sacrifice. 
It Avas the same spirit that, for conscience sake, left the 
shores of the old world, crossed the ocean, and fiiced 
the dangers, the inclemency and the hardship of the 
new world, in the month of Dec., when civilized man 
had not felled the first tree. 

The next August sixteen females were dismissed from 
the south church in Shrewsbury, and recommended to 
this church — most of them were the ^^i^es of the breth- 
ren who became members of the church at its organi- 
zation. This made twenty-nine who came to this 
church from Shrewsbury. Who the others were who 
were united with them, or where they came from, 
I have not been able to learn.* 

* The early recorda of lliis cliurcli, till the year 17M,aje iiul tu be louiid, 
or ihey are not in posaesssion i»f the cliurcli. 



18 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

In a precinct meeting, held on the 23d of Feb. 1743, 
only five days after the meeting at which they voted to 
build the meeting house, after choosing a moderator, 
" tried whether they would have any more ministers 
preach to them before they made choice, and it passed 
in the negative." At this meeting Mr. Ebenezer 
Morse was invited to settle mth and over them, in' 
in the gospel ministry, and they " voted to give him 
£■400 old tenor for a settlement, and £160 old tenor a 
year salary for the first two years, and then £5 old ten- 
or more every year, gaining £5 every year till it comes 
to £180 old tenor; provided that the said Morse shall 
give a quit-claim of the ministerial lands that are in the 
north precinct in Shrewsbury to said precinct, if it 
be by them requested." These terms not being accedecJ 
to by Mr. Morse, at the next precinct meeting, March 
23, 1743, "voted to increase his salary £10 per year 
after the first two years, till it become £200 old tenor^ 
a year, and so to be higher or lower as provisions shall 
rise or fall from this time forward, allowing wheat to 
be at this time 20s per bushel, rye 15^, Indian 10s, 
Oats 6s in the north precinct in Shrewsbury ; and pork 
at 18c? per lb., and beef at llf^perlb. in Boston." 
There was also a change made in the proposed settle- 
ment. These terms were agreed to by Mr. Morse, and 
he gave his answer in the affirmative. After receiving 
Ml'. Morse's answer, the next business of the church 
and precinct was to decide upon the time for the ordi- 
nation, and to make suitable provision for that occasion. 
The time assigned for the ordination was Oct. 27, 
1743. They also agreed to send to six churches to- 
assist in council on this occasion, and chose a commit- 
tee " to make provision for the ministers and churches 
sent to, and also to make provision for all transient 
ministers and scholars." 



riNISHING THE MEETING-HOUSE. 19 



The ordination took place at the time appointed, 
viz., Oct. 26, 1743, and probably in the new meeting- 
house, fitted up for the occasion. The horn^e at the 
time of the ordination was in a rough, unfinished state, 
having neither pulpit nor pew, — even the floor was 
not laid, nor the dooi-s nor windows provided. The next 
•season, 1744, the meeting house was nearly finished. 
Individuals who were able, built their own pews in such 
parts of the house as the precinct permitted. And the 
practice of individuals, building for themselves a pew 
in some unoccupied place in the meeting-house, was 
continued for at least twenty years. Every year there 
were petitions presented at the precinct meetings, by 
different persons worshipping in the house, for permis- 
sion to build for themselves a pew in some unoccupied 
specified place in the house. These petitions were 
^always granted by the precinct, though sometimes upon 
'Certain conditions with which the petitioners must com- 
ply. It may not be uninteresting for the purpose of 
learning more fully the customs of the precinct at this 
time, to give a specimen of those petitions. 

In a warrant issued Sept. 21, 1761, " the first year 
of the reign of his majesty Geoi-ge the Third," we find 
the following article to be acted upon : " To hear a pe- 
tition of Dinah Bennet, Zillah Taylor and others, peti- 
tioning for liberty to build and enjoy a pew in the 
vacancy behind the long gallery in the cast end of the 
meeting-house, and act thereon as they shall think pro- 
per." The meeting for which this warrant was issued 
assembled the fiifth day of October, 1761, and the action 
upon this article of the warrant is thus recorded : — 
*' Tryed a vote on the petition of Dinah Bennett, Zillah 
Taylor and others, which is as follows, viz. ' To the in- 
habitants of the second precinct in Shrewsbury, "We, the 



20 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 



subscribers, inhabitants of said precinct, humbly pray 
that you would grant us the vacancy behind the hind 
seat (out to the stair curb) in the meeting-house long 
gallery, in the east end of the meeting-house in said 
precinct, in order for us to build and enjoy a pew. If 
you shall see cause to grant us our request, you will 
oblige your petitioners, Avho shall, as we are in duty 
bound, ever pray — Dinah Bennett, Zillah Taylor, Betty 
Howe, Tamah Howe, Tabitha Maynard, Betty Taylor, 
Abigail Keyes, Tabitha Holland, Eunice Holland, Sarah 
Witherby, Bvdah Child, Susannah Child. — Shrewsbury 
2d precinct, Sept. 4, 1761,' — and it passed in the affir- 
mative." These petitions were not always nor gener- 
ally presented by the ladies, but they were generally 
similar in their phraseology, and were received with 
favor by the precinct. 

These customs were peculiar to the times in which 
they lived, though not probably to this precinct. 
Shoidd the records of other towns of the same period 
be examined, we should undoubtedly find that they 
had customs, if not the same of this precinct, equally 
singular in our estimation. 

A cause of great distress and embarrassment at that 
day was the unsettled state of the currency — to which 
allusion has already been made. It was several years 
before any satisfactory arrangement could be made in 
reference to Mr. Morse's salary. The bills in circula- 
tion depreciated so much in value that the precinct 
voted, for many years, an addition to his annual salary. 
In the fall of 1748, the precinct made a proposal to 
Mr. Morse, in reference to the amount of his salary, 
Avhich he felt would not give him a support. To that 
proposal he made this reply: " North Precinct in Shrews- 
bury, Oct. 31, 1748 — To the inhabitants of said Pre- 



RBV. EBENEZER MORSE. 21 

cinct now assembled, Brethren, the design of this epis- 
tle is to let you know that should I accept of the sum 
you voted me at the last meeting, as being satisfactory 
for my labors among you for the time you refer to in 
your note, it would be going a warfare too much at my 
own charge, and therefore I cannot see it in my way to 
accept it. From your helper in Christ, — Ebenezer 
Morse." 

On the thirtieth of the next January, (1749,) an ar- 
rangement was made which appeared more satisfactory 
to both parties, and which to a certain extent obviated 
the difficulty which grew out of the fluctuating state 
of the currency. A A^ote was passed to grant " the sum 
of one hundred and thirty-three ounces of silver, or as 
much money in bills of public credit as shall procure 
the silver above said, or that shall be equivalent to said 
silver, for the Rev. Ebenezer Morse's salary, annually." 
To this sum there were frequent additions made to sup- 
ply a deficiency which existed in his support. Except 
the difficulty concerning the salary, there appears to 
have been peace and harmony between Mr. Morse and 
his people for about twenty-five years. 

Mr. Morse was born in Medfield, March 2d, 1718; 
graduated at Harvard University in 1737 — studied law 
about a year with Hon. John Chandler, a stern and un- 
yielding royalist. He afterwards studied medicine and 
theology. In Nov. 17-15, he was married to Miss Per- 
sis Bush, the daughter of John Bush, and aunt of the 
late Col. Jotham Bush. When ordained he was about 
twenty-five years of age. The period during which he 
was the minister of this people, was, by far, the best 
part of his life. He here became the father of a large 
family of children — some of whom died in infancy or 
childhood, — and others survived him. He began his 



22 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 



ministry here when the precinct and the church began — 
when there could have been but little to invite beyond 
the mere desire of doing good, and when there must 
have been much to discourage. 

The controversy in reference to the amount of salary, 
was evidently the result of the times and circumstances 
in which he lived. It was perpetually depreciating in 
consequence of the state of the currency — at most it 
was really less than he needed for a comfortable sup- 
port, and yet more than his parishoners with their scanty 
income, felt able to pay. They, in common with their 
minister, felt the distress occasioned by the state of the 
currency. The facilities for converting their produce 
hito money were few — no market of easy access, — all 
producers of the fruits of the earth, and none to buy 
the articles which all had to sell. 

The territorial limits of his parish were more exten- 
sive than those of the present town of Boylston, includ- 
ing a part of the town of West Boylstom During this 
period of twenty-five years there were some exciting 
events which transpired in the country, which must 
have been regarded with deep interest by Mr. Morse 
and his people. The almost perpetual warfare between 
England and France was deeply felt during some part 
of this period by the people of the Colonies. 

About the year 1755, circumstances occurred which 
■occasioned many bloody conflicts of the English and 
Americans with the French and Indians. In some parts 
■of the country the cruelty of Indian warfare appeared 
with all the severity of former days. Massachusetts at 
this time was not so great a sufferer in this respect as 
she had been during the last half of the preceding cen- 
tury. But even Massachusetts and the north precinct 
of Shrewsbury must have felt the deepest interest in 



REVOLUTIONARY EXCfTEMENT. 2^ 

these bloody transactions, in which their countrymen 
so severely and so frequently suffered. This is called 
" the old French war," and continued till about the 
year 1763, when a treaty of peace w^as entered into be- 
tween Great Britain and France. But even at this time 
causes were at work which were to produce a war, the 
effects of which would be most deeply felt by every citi- 
zen cf the colonies. 

The colonies were severely oppressed by the mother 
country ; the question of revolt began to be discussed ;. 
the spirit of revolution was every day more and more 
decisive ; almost all churches sympathized in the hos- 
tile movements of the country, and every apologist for 
the oppressive acts of parliament was regarded as a 
traitor to his country. At this time of uncompromis- 
ing opposition to the British government, when the 
spirit of revolution ran high, Mr. Morse sympathized 
with the mother country. He was a Royalist, or a 
Tory. The principles, by which he was prompted to 
take this position, were not to be thought of in justifi- 
cation of his course of action. A large majority of 
his people and his church breathed a sj)irit of deter- 
mined resistance to parliamentary aggression, and in 
this spirit, very naturally, arose a feeling of jealousy 
and hostility to their pastor. 

Though it was far more difficult at that day to dis- 
solve the pastoral relation than it is at present, yet they 
began to take steps preliminary to a change in the 
ministry. A meeting of the church was called Oct, 
24th, 1774, at the request of a large number of the 
members ; the difficulties subsisting between pastor and 
church taken into consideration ; and a committee chos- 
en to wait upon Mr. Morse, requesting him to meet the 
church ; or, if he declined, to x^ut into their hands a 



24 ANNI VERSA ay SERMONS- 

copy of certain specified parts of the records, together 
with another paper which he had recently read to them. 
These requests not being- acceded to by Mr. Morse, the 
meeting was continued by adjournments till March 2, 
1775, when it was proposed to refer their difficulties to 
a council. At a subsequent meeting the members of 
the council were selected, and a committee chosen to 
prepare letters missive. At a church meeting, March 
20, 1775, the records say "After conferring upon mat- 
ters of difficulty, found matters so perplexed that we 
knew not what to do." On the 3d of April, 1775, 
" chose a committee to confer with Mr. Morse in refer- 
ence to our difficulties." This committee reported at 
an adjourned meeting the next week, "That Mr. Morse 
declared, by word of mouth, ' that he would not join 
with the church in a council, unless the letters missive, 
shall express, that the council determine our difficul- 
ties by Congregational principles, and that neither the 
Bible nor the Cambridge platform should be the rule 
for them to determine our difficulties by.' " 

The church then "voted to invite the parish to unite 
with the church in order to see if by any means Mr. 
Morse could not be prevailed upon to come into some 
measures that might accommodate the difficulties." 
This effort, as well as the plan for having a council, was 
wholly ineffectual. At a church meeting. May 1, 1775, 
they chose another committee to wait upon Mr. Morse. 
Met again 22d inst. by adjournment, when, the records 
say, they found themselves " in such perplexity that 
they knew not what to do." June 8, 1775, the church 
records say " finding that Mr. Morse would not join 
with the church in a council upon any terms that they 
can think consistent with the liberties wherewith Christ 
hath made his church free, and that a party council was 



DIFFICULTIES WITH THE PASTOR. 25 

not likely to answer any good purpose, and now being in 
the last extremity, finding that all attempts to heal 
and accommodate the difficulties were to no purpose, 
to live as they were they dare not, and seeing no 
other way than to attend to the last remedy where the 
elder offend incorrigibly, — as we cannct have advice of 
council so to remove him from office by the same power 
by which he was called, viz., by the church ; therefore 
concluded to use our power and privilege, and accord- 
ingly made out a notification for a church meeting in 
order to remove the Rev. Ebcnezer Morse from his 
pastoral office to this church." Agreeably to the notifica- 
tion issued, the church met June 12th, 1775, "and after 
considering and fairly debating the matter, it was mo- 
tioned and seconded that the vote be put to see whether 
the church will dismiss Mr. Morse from his pastoral 
office to this church." Then the moderator put the vote 
in these words, " Brethren, if it be your minds to dis- 
miss the Rev. Ebenezer Morse from his pastoral office 
to the Second Church of Christ in Shrewsbury, mani- 
fest it. It passed in the affirmative by a division of 
fourteen yeas to four nays." After choosing a commit- 
tee to desire the parish committee to call a precinct 
meeting to see if they will concur with the church in 
dismissing Mr. Morse, and to draw up in proper form 
their reasons for dismissing him, they adjourned for 
three days, tillJune 15, 1775, when the following doc- 
ument, specifying their reasons for the summary action 
which they had taken, was read and accepted. " The 
Rev. Ebcnezer Morse, appearing so unfriendly to the 
common cause of liberty, whicli America so much con- 
tends for at this day, gave occasion for the town of 
Shrewsbury to call him to an account by a Committee 
of enquiry, and the said Mr. ^lorse, when upon cxami- 



26 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 



nation before said committee, and before said town, 
after said committee gave in their report, did so conduct 
and word himself that the town as well as the commit- 
tee did view him as unfriendly to the common cause, 
and in consequence thereof, did vote that said Mr. 
Morse be disarmed and laid under other disadvantages, 
— in consequence of which, together with the other 
difficulties subsisting, we cannot see how we can in 
conscience be contented with him as our pastor, and 
are of opinion that Ave shall expose ourselves to the 
displeasure of the Congresses and all others that are 
friends and well-wishers to the rights and liberties of 
America, if we should suffer him to continue any long- 
er as our pastor, and give these as our reasons for 
dismissing; the Rev. Mr. Morse from the Second Church 
in Shrewsbury." 

This document being presented to the parish, ap- 
pears to have received their concurrence, and Mr. 
Morse was thus dismissed without the sanction of an 
ecclesiastical council. Subsequently, however, the 
church called an exparte council, who advised them to 
propose to Mr. Morse to choose four more churches to 
join with these three present, to hear and advise upon 
all matters of difficulty subsisting in this place. This 
proposal Mr. Morse declined. The council then 
advised that three more churches be added to them, and 
that they adjourn to meet again November 7th, i, e. 
in two weeks, for the purpose of some more definite 
action. This advice being followed by the church, they 
adjourned, and met accordingly, Nov. 7th, 1775, and 
continued their meeting by adjournment till the 10th, 
when the council advised the church to reconsider the 
vote dismissing Mr. Morse, and then proceed to a 
formal dismission with their sanction. The church 



REV. EBENETIER MORSE. 27 



followed this advice, and thus Mr. Morse was dismiss- 
ed with the sanction of an ecclesiastical council, Nov- 
10, 1775, having been the minister of this church 
thirty-two years and fifteen days. 

Mr. ^lorse, however, regarded all of these proceed- 
ings, both of the church and of the council, as of no 
authority, and though excluded from the pulpit, he 
still esteemed himself the minister of this people. He 
afterwards continued his labors in this place as a min- 
ister of Christ, preaching, for several years, to a minority 
of his former people who sympathized with him in his 
political views. He also practised as a physician, and 
employed his superior classical education in preparing 
young men for the University. For many years after 
this, Mr. Morse and his adherents frequently remon- 
strated with the church and society whenever they 
made any important move for sustaining and perpetu- 
ating the ministry and gospel ordinances in this place. 

Mr. Morse is said to have possessed a strong, clear, 
and vigorous mind, a bold and independent spirit, keen 
and ready wit, and a kind, benevolent and christian 
heart. He had uncommon versatility of talent. "He 
was so bright in the classics," says his biographer, " as 
to command, in his retired location, a school of young 
gentlemen preparing to enter college ; and it was under 
his thorough tuition and inspiring influence that the 
foundation of the literary eminence of many in our 
early history was laid." 

After the dismission of Mr. Morse, the church 
remained without a pastor a few days less than a year 
and four months. During this period the pulpit w^as 
supplied with such candidates as they were able to ob- 
tain with occasional help from the pastors of the neigh- 
boring churches. Dr. Sumner, Mr. Avery and Mr. 



28 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 



Maccarty were especially favorable to them, and fre- 
quently gave them aid and counsel. 

The next January, 1776, the church gave a call to 
Mr. Jesse Reed to settle Avith them in the Gospel minis- 
try. This call Mr. E,eed declined, and though urged 
to reconsider his decision, persisted in his determination. 
Nothing now can be found of Mr. Heed's history, 
except the fact of his being invited to settle over this 
peojile, and declining the invitation. 

For many years in this church, as in other churches 
in New England, the half-way covenant was in use, i. e. 
they admitted persons into covenant with them without 
requiring them to come to the Lord's Supper. Soon 
after the dismission of Mr. Morse, the church voted, 
"That, in their opinion, the half-way covenant, so called, 
hath no foundation in the word of God ; it is, therefore, 
our opinion that said covenant ought not to be prac- 
tised any longer in this precinct." This clear and 
decisive vote, however, was not the final disposition of 
this covenant, for we find, by the church records, that 
it was in use more than forty years after this date. 

The next move which the church made for re-estab- 
lishing the Gospel ministry among them, was in Oct. 
1776, when they gave a call to Mr. Eleazer Fairbanks. 
The parish concurred with the church in giving this 
call. It was accepted by Mr. Fairbanks, and he was 
ordained the next spring. Mr. Fairbanks was born in 
Preston, Ct., Graduated at Brown University, 1775, and 
was ordained March 27, 1777. The council convened 
for his ordination INIarch 26, and the day was spent in 
hearing Mr. Morse's objections, which objections were 
overruled, and the ordination took place next day. The 
salary and settlement offered to Mr. Fairbanks were the 
same that were ofi*ercd to Mr. Reed,viz, £66 13s 4<? salary 



REV. ELEAZER FAIRBANKS. 29 

and £133, 6^ 8^^ settlement. His salary was afterwards 
increased to £70, and his settlement to £180=^233,33 
for salary, and ^600 for settlement. 

In the fall of 1781 he was married to Miss Sarah 
Bigelow, daughter of Deacon Amariah Bigelow, one 
of the officers of his own church. On the settlement 
of Mr. Fairbanks, the church consisted of 71 members 
— 29 males and 42 females. The limits of the precinct 
at this time included an important part of the town of 
West Boylston. There was then no church nor relig- 
ious society within the limits of that town. The pop- 
ulation of the town was then sparse, and, comparatively, 
a small part of the church in this place, belonged 
there. Even in 1810, the time of the first census after 
its incorporation, and thirty-seven years after the date 
of which we now speak, there were only six hundred 
and thirty-two inhabitants in the whole town of West 
Boylston, including in addition to the territory once 
belonging to this town, a section from Sterling and 
another from Holden. 

In the spring of 1777, soon after the settlement of 
Mr. Fairbanks, the church introduced Watts version of 
the Psalms and Hymns, including his three books of 
hymns. And about this time, probably, the present 
mode of church music was also adopted. Sacred music 
during the ministry of Mr. Fairbanks, appears to have 
been at a low ebb. Most of the time this service was 
performed by the congregation, very imperfectly when 
in their best manner, and sometimes so weak were they 
in performing it, that they were obliged to omit it in 
the worship of God on the Sabbath. The church felt 
the importance of some improvement in the manner of 
their singing, and repeatedly petitioned the precinct to 
adopt measures by which this improvement could be 



30 ANNIVERSARV^ SERMONS. 

secured. The precinct appears to have given them 
but little help. 

In the warrant for March meeting, in the year 1781, 
we find this article : — "To see if the precinct will per- 
mit the singers to sit together in the front gallery, or 
allow them such a part of it as the precinct shall think 
proper." In reference to this article, they "voted to do 
notliing about it." 

In the following December, 1781, a petition was pre- 
sented to the precinct by Dea. Cyprian Keyes and elev- 
en others, praying for some help by which the singing 
should liC improved. A precinct meeting was called, and 
" Voted, to continue Congregational singing ; also, vot- 
ed to choose a committee to propose some way in which 
singing should be performed in this congregation." 
The result of this petition was that the precinct "chose 
seven choristers to tune the Psalms." "Also, voted the 
two hind seats, below, both men's side and women's, for 
the use of the singers." Here the precinct, as a special 
favor, grant the singers the back seat on the lower floor 
that they may sit together. In February, 1783, Dea. 
Amariah Bigelow and five others presented a petition, 
" To see if the precinct will grant to the use of the sing- 
ers the front gallery, both men and women's side, all 
but the fore seat, so long as they shall perform singing 
with decency and good order." This petition was not 
granted. This appears to have been the last effort dur- 
ing the ministry of Mr. Fairbanks to improve the sing- 
ing. The friends of the effort probably left the singing 
to take care of itself, and the congregation to enjoy or 
endure it as they might be able. 

During the time of the ministry of Mr. Fairbanks 
both the church and Mr. Morse made frequent attempts 
to bring about a reconciliation between him and his 



MR. FAIRBANKS'S MINISTRY. 31 

adherents, and the church, but without much success. 
In September, 1780, the church chose a committee to 
confer with Mr. Morse and his adherents, and " desire 
their personal attendance before this church to offer 
their reasons for their absenting." The result of this 
effort was that Mr. Morse came before the church but 
none of his adherents ; no good appears to have been 
accomplished. In November, 1784, the church " Voted 
that the absenting members, heretofore called upon by 
this church, such as are not chargeable with any im- 
morality, upon suing and acknowledging their error 
in tarrying away, and returning to their duty, may 
be restored to charity and received to Christian commu- 
nion." In 1792 Mr. Morse addressed a letter to the 
church proposing a mutual council ; this proposal the 
church declined. In the following December, 1792, 
Mr Fairbanks made a request to the church for a dis- 
mission. This request the church first refused, but 
soon after granted, and his dismission took place, 
with the sanction of an ecclesiastical council, April 23, 
1793. 

The period of Mr. Fairbanks s ministry was, in some 
respects, one of deep interest. His ministry began 
when the struggle was going on for the independence 
of these United States. The question was by no means 
settled whether we should be able to maintain the de- 
claration which we had sent out the year before. Great 
Britain was strong, and would not give up these Colo- 
nies without exerting that strength to the uttermost. 
When this question was settled in our favor, and peace 
returned, then this new republic, in its infancy, must 
adopt measures by which the liberty, which they had 
bought with so much blood and sacrifice, might be per- 
petuated. During his entire ministry there was also, 



32 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

practically, a seceding church with a minister in his 
immediate vicinity. Between these two bodies — two 
Avhen they ought to have been one, both parties 
undoubtedly blameworthy, feeling conscious of guilt 
and secretly desiring relief by having a union — 
there must have been a spirit of jealousy ; each 
desiring to relieve itself by charging blame upon 
the other, or by making some overture by which 
a union might be effected — neither party ready to 
do their full duty, but each desirous that the other 
should come to their terms. That such was the state 
of feeling, is too evident from the frequent attempts of 
both parties to bring about a reconciliaticn during the 
whole ministry of Mr. Fairbanks. 

During the whole of this period Mr. Morse claimed 
that he had not been dismissed from the church accord- 
ing to Christian and ecclesiastical usage, and conse- 
quently that he was rightly the minister of the North 
Precinct in Shrewsbury. On the other hand, Mr. Fair- 
banks's church felt that these claims were groundless, 
and that both he and his adherents were guilty of a 
breach of covenant in absenting themselves from the 
fellowship and worship of that church. During this 
period, also, the towns of Sterling, Berlin, and Boylston 
were incorporated. The incorporation of this town was 
strenuously opposed, and obtained after long delay ; it 
took place in the month of March 1786, about forty- 
three years after it had become an incorporated precinct. 

After Mr. Fairbanks left this place, he went to Wil- 
mington, Yt., where, it is said, he remained but a few 
years, and, after frequent changes, both in place and 
sentiment, finally died in Palmyra, N. Y., 1821. Mr. 
Fairbanks was the minister of this people sixteen years, 
one month and sixteen days. Durinr his ministry one 



CALL OF MR. IIOOPKR. 33 



hundred and thirteen pei-sons were admitted to the 
church — eighty-eight by profession, and twenty-five by 
letter ; and sixty-six were removed from the church by 
letter, death, and otherwise. The question of ix^ceiving 
members upon the half-way covenant was by no means 
settled, notwithstanding the decisive vote which had 
been taken by the church previous to his settlement. 
There was evidently a diversity of opinion on this sub- 
ject, if not in his church, certainly among his people, 
and the advocates for the practice had sufficient influ- 
ence to prevent the church from repeating what they 
had once said with so much boldness and truth. There 
is, however, no evidence that I notice in the record, that 
Mr. Fairbanks, during his ministry,received any members 
into the church, who were not in full communion. 
After the dismission of Mr. Fairbanks, the church 
made no movement, of which we find any record, in 
reference to the settlement of a successor, before the 
next autumn — when they proceeded to give a call to 
Mr. Hezekiah Hooper. This call was concurred in by 
the town, and was accepted by Mr. Hooper. In the 
month of February, 1194, previous to his ordination, 
the church observed a day of fastmg, and, as was 
the usual practice at that time, invited several of the 
neighboring clergymen to unite with them and assist 
them. On this occasion they invited Drs. Pufler, Sum- 
ner, Thayer and Holcomb, with Eev. Mr. Whitney. They 
convened at the school-house, Feb. 6, 1794, and they 
were met there by Mr. Morse, and an attempt was made 
to settle the difficulties subsistmg between him and the 
church. This difficulty had existed for more than 
twenty years ; had been the occasion of the dismission 
of Mr, Morse, of a division and actual separation in the 
church, and of Kinceasing trial and annoyance to both 



34 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

parties during the whole time. Each felt that most of 
the blame attached to the other i^arty, and crimmation 
and recrimination were often made, jealousy and fre- 
quent altercations took place, and, often repeated, but 
always unsuccessful, attempts were made on both sides 
to effect a settlement. The question at this time was 
referred to the clergymen present. > " It being moved 
and seconded, to see if the church will ask the adAdce 
of the above-named gentlemen that were present, what 
line of conduct said church shall pursue m regard to Mr. 
Morse and his adhering members, and it passed m the 
affirmative." At the same time the church also asked 
the advice of these clergymen with regard to the half- 
way covenant. Before asking this advice, the church 
had voted that they would not join Avith Mr. Morse in 
a council. During the time of these difficulties, which 
were so enduring and so trying, the respective parties 
had frequently proposed to each other to submit the 
whole question to an ecclesiastical couucil. These pro- 
posals had uniformly been declined by the party to 
whom they were made. The advice given was in these 
words : 

*• BoYLSTON, February 6, 1794. 
** Whereas, the brethren of the Church of Christ in Boylston have 
desired the advice of the under-written, on the following points, viz ; 
The line of conduct proper for them to pursue relative to the 
Rev. Mr. Morse and his adherents, — also, relative to the use of 
ivhat has been usually called the half-way covenant. We say, in 
relation to Mr. Morse and his adherents, our advice is, that whereas 
Mr. Morse has charged the church with a departure from their orig- 
inal covenant ; that the church serve him with an attested copy of 
their late proceedings on that subject, which will set that matter in 
a true light — that a vote be passed expressing the willingness of the 
church to indulge Mr. Morse and his adherents in all Christian priv- 
slewes when he or they shall be disposed to enjoy the same; and in 
regard to such as Mr. Morse has admitted to special privilege,. thaS 



ORDINATION OP MR. HOOPER. 35 

tlie church stand ready, at their request, to admit them to the same 
privileges. 

" Relative to what is usually termed the half-way Covenant, we 
give it as our advice, that there be but one covenant made use of; 
but when such, as in a judgment of charity are desirous and well- 
disposed, wish to have baptism for their children, but entertain 
scruples of their fitness to come to the table of the Lord, that they 
be allowed to receive baptism for their children upon making public 
profession of religion; and that they be admitted to full communion 
when these scruples shall be removed, without reading the covenant 
to them the second time. 

Signed, Joseph Sumneh, 

Peter Whitney, 
Reuben Holcomb, 
Reuben Puffer, 
Nath'l Tuayer." 

What the effect of this advice was in reference to the 
difficulties subsisting between the church and Mr. 
Morse, is not known. One thing, however, is certain, 
that the difficulties were not removed. The advice, in 
reference to the half-way covenant, reversed the vote of 
the church passed previous to the settlement of Mr. 
Fairbanks and brought back the practice of receiving 
members upon that covenant, which practice was con- 
tinued in the church for more than twenty years after 
this date. 

The town having concurred with the church in giv- 
ing a call to Mr. Hooper, the council for his ordination 
was convened March 12, 1794. At the opening of this 
council " a paper was presented to them, signed by 
twenty persons, from the westerly part of the town, 
signifying their intentions to have a religious society 
by themselves, and manifesting their perfect neutrality 
in the present ordination." A remonstrance was also 
presented by Mr. Ebenezer Morse, " against any persons 
being ordained over him and this church, until he had 



36 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

been formally and regularly heard in an ecclesiastical 
council, as he presumed that he had never had a regu- 
lar dismission." 

" The council voted that they considered neither of 
these papers as any bar to the ordination," and conse- 
quently Mr. Hooper was ordained and installed over 
this people. 

The first of these papers is the first hint that appears 
upon the church records of any move to organize a new 
church and society in that part of the town now called 
West Boylston. This move grew out of a contro- 
versy between the inhabitants of the eastern and west- 
ern portions of the town in reference to the location of 
a meeting-house which they had finished the year be- 
fore. The first move towards the erection of this house 
was made in the year 1791. A warm controversy arose 
as to its location, repeated committees were chosen, 
both from this town and from neighboring towns. 
The town was surveyed and measured to find the centre, 
or in some way to fix upon a spot that would be satis- 
factory to all parties, but without success. The loca- 
tion recently occupied by it, where the Centre School- 
house now stands, was finally selected, and the majori- 
ty, controlling the town, built the house upon that spot, 
which was finished in 1793, at an expense of about 
j^4500. Its location was the immediate cause of a 
division in the town, of the organization of a new 
church, the incorporation of a second precinct, and 
after much contention and litigation, resulted in the 
incorporation of the town of West Boylston. 

This controversy, which began as soon as it was de- 
cided to build a new house, was earned on with great 
bitterness on both sides ; neither disposed to yield to 
the wishes of the other ; each, in their turn, making 



DIFFICULTIES IN THE TOWN. 37 

new proposals, by which they hoped to bring their op- 
ponents to their terms ; both claiming to be governed 
by principles of right, and mntnally and warmly con- 
demning the unreasonable and extravagant demands of 
each other. A little yielding, on both sides, might have 
calmed the troubled waters, prevented the division of 
the town at that time, and wholly changed the future 
history of both churches, societies and towns. Such 
instances of men's obstinacy and perverseness, are, un- 
questionably, overruled by God for good ; he brings 
good out of evil, the wrath of man is made to praise 
him ; nevertheless, man is taught to forbear, to feel 
that he may be demanding too much, or if not more 
than is right, it may be more than is expedient, and, 
therefore, best to relinquish even his just dues, rather 
than press them too strenuously. 

The first of the papers presented to the council, viz., 
the remonstrance of Mr. Morse, makes known to us the 
relation which, in his own estimation, he sustained to 
this church and people. He still claimed to be their 
minister; rejected, as invalid, all their proceedings 
against him; denied the authority of the council 
which sanctioned his dismission, and repudiated, 
as illegal and contrary to ecclesiastical usage, every 
movement by which he had been excluded from the 
pulpit. He regarded himself as wronged and oppressed 
by those who ought to have been his friends, merely 
because his political opinions diiFered from theirs. The 
validity of his claims of course depended upon the con- 
ditions of his original settlement in 1743, more than 
half a century before, and upon the usages and the times 
in which he lived. 

At the present day his claims would have been re- 
garded as invalid, but in his day there might have been 



♦38 ANNIVERSARV SERMONS. 

a question whether he could not have maintained them 
either in a court of justice, or before an impartial mu- 
tual ecclesiastical council. The council which was as- 
sembled for the purpose of ordaining Mr. Hooper 
treated his remonstrance as presenting no bar to their 
proceeding with the ordination, and of course, as based 
upon no valid claims which he had upon the church 
and precinct. 

The salary of Mr. Hooper Avas £115=^383 33. 
He began his ministry under favorable auspices. The 
excitement which had prevailed throughout the country 
during the last twenty years, in connexion with the 
revolution, and also the peculiar trials which this 
church and precinct had passed through during the 
same period, had now, to a great extent, ceased. The 
only serious trial which afflicted the people at the time 
of his settlement, was the division which existed, 
both in the precinct and church, in consequence of 
the location of their new meeting-house. The dis- 
affected members, however, both of the church and 
precinct, were only a small minority, while the major- 
ity, who Avere united in the locating and building of the 
meeting house, and also in the settlement of Mr. Hoop- 
er, were able, without any serious burden, to meet the 
expenses necessary for the support of the Gospel. At 
the time of his settlement, the church consisted of one 
hundred and eighteen members, arranged in his records 
in the followinp: manner 



Deacons and their wives. 


9 






Brethren and their wives. 


72 






Widows, 


21 






Maidens, 


5 


Males, 


46 


Wives of non-professors. 


11 


Females, 


72 



Total, 118 118 



UNION UNDER Mil. HOOPER'S MINISTRY. 39 

The use of the half-way covenant which had been vot- 
ed by the church as unscriptural,before the settlement of 
Mr. Fairbanks, and which appears to have been discon- 
tinued during the sixteen years of his ministry, Avas re- 
stored, to the church by the advice of five clergymen 
from the adjacent towns,who met here, at the request of 
the church, about five weeks previous to the ordination 
of Mr. Hooper, to unite with them in observing a fast, 
and to aid and assist them by their counsel, and this 
covenant was used by him in the receiving of members 
during his short ministry. Fifteen members were ad- 
mitted by him to the church by profession, and five by 
letter ; and the party, who for more than eighteen 
yearSj had. adhered to Mr. Morse, and sustained wor- 
ship distinct from the original church and society, 
returned and enjoyed, under Mr. Hooper, the same 
privileges which had been allowed them by IMr. Morse. 

The next July after the ordination of Mr. Hooper, 
(1794) Mr. Morse called an exparte council upon 
whose result the church took no definite action. Sep- 
arate worship appears not to have been continued by 
Mr. Morse and his adherents after the settlement of 
Mr. Hooper, the successor of Mr. Fairbanks. They then 
became members of Mr. Hooper's congregation, and 
the controversy subsided. Mr. Morse continued a resi- 
dent in this town till the year 1802, wdien he died at 
the age of eighty-three years, nine months and twenty- 
one days — a little more than fifty-eight years after his 
ordmation, and a little more than twenty-six years after 
his dismission. His wife died May 6, 1788, nearly 
fourteen years before. 

The only member now living, who was admitted by 
Mr. Hooper, is Mr. Elijah Ball, who is the oldest 
member of this church, having publicly professed 



40 Anniversary sermons. 



Christ April 13th, 1794, more tlian fifty-eight years 
since. The father of Mr. Ball, the oldest member 
of this church who was living when I came to this 
town, was admitted March 26th, 1777, in the time of 
the revolution, before the incorporation of the town, 
and but little more than a year after the dismission of 
Mr. Morse. The ministry of Mr. Hooper was brief. 
The last record which I find in his hand writing was 
made June 28, 1795, when he records the admission of 
John Crawford and wife as members of this church 
upon the half-way covenant, and the same day records 
the baptism of Sally, the daughter of John Crawford. 
Soon after this he went to Bridgewater, where his 
friends resided, and died of consumption Dec. 2, 1795. 
Mr. Hooper graduated at Harvard University 1789, 
and is described by Mr. Davenport, in his history of 
Boylston, as " a young man of good talents and attain- 
ments, a gentleman m his manners, and a pattern of 
meekness and humility." He was the minister of this 
people one year, nine months and twenty-five days. 

At the time of the settlement of Mr. Hooper, both 
the church and the town were in a divided and unset- 
tled state, in consequence of theh' disagreement as to 
the locating of their new meeting house, and the day 
was near when the west part of the town was to be- 
come a separate incorporation, and the members of the 
church, in that section of the town, were to withdraw 
and be organized mto a distmct church. 

The next June, after the death of Mr. Hooper, the 
west part of the town, with certain other lands, was 
incorporated by the name of Second Precinct in Boyls- 
ton, Sterling and Holdcn, and in the following Sept. 
1796, the Congregational Church in West Boylston 
was organized. Fourteen persons were dismissed from 



SETTLEMENT OP MR. COTTON. 41 

this church for the purpose of unitmg with that at the 
time of its organization, and thus before a call was 
given to a successor to Mr. Hooper, the division, both 
in the town and church, was complete and permanent. 

Soon after the death of Mr. Hooper, "the church set 
apart a day for fasting and prayer, that the death of 
the late Rev. Hezekiah Hooper might be sanctified to 
the church and town, and that the church and town 
might be dhected m the choice of an able minister to 
settle in the work of the ministry, in and over said 
church and town." And the following September, 1776, 
the church voted a call to Mr. Ward Cotton "to settle 
with and over them in the Gospel ministry, according 
to the Cambridge Platform." This vote was concurred in 
by the town, Mr. Cotton accepted the call, and was 
ordained the 7th day of June following, 1797, one year, 
six months and five days after the death of Mr. Hooper. 

Mr. Cotton was born in Plymouth March 24, 1770, 
and graduated at Harvard College in 1793. The condi- 
tion both of the church and the town at the time of Mr. 
Cotton's settlement, was similar to its condition at the 
time of the settlement of Mr. Hooper, if we except 
the fact that the division caused by the location of the 
meeting house, was now marked by distinct organiza- 
tions. That part of the town, now forming a part of 
West Boylston, was no longer connected either with 
this church or parish. This separation, however, was 
not made without the most strenuous opposition on the 
part of the people of this town. A committee consist- 
ing of Jotham Bush and Jonathan Fassett was chosen 
to oppose the act of incorporation before the General 
Court. A petition of Ezra Beaman and others was 
presented to the General Court, requesting that they 
might be incorporated into a separate town. This was 



42 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

the petition that Messrs. Bush and Fassett were to op- 
pose ; and the town instructed them "To present a me- 
morial to the General Court, employ counsel, take de- 
positions, if they think proper, to support the cause, and 
take every other such method they shall deem necessary 
to state the matter in a fair and candid manner before 
the Legislature of the Commonwealth. — Boylston, June 
4, 1795." 

The memorial which was furnished them by the town 
was a very able document, and calculated to make an 
impression upon the mind of any reflecting man. How 
much influence this committee, with the powers given 
them by the town, had, we can decide only by the re* 
suit of the petition. They were not incorporated into 
a town agreeably to the petition, but they succeeded in 
being incorporated as a separate precinct. This act of 
incorporation together with the organization of the 
church, could not have been regarded as an evil by Mr. 
Cotton and his church, if they considered the state of 
feeling which existed in the two parts of the town. 
With this disaffection, a forced union must have 
been attended with unhappy consequences. By this 
division he found himself the minister of a smaller 
parish and church, but they were united, both among 
themselves and in him. A small church and parish 
with union, is stronger and can do more good, than a 
larger church and society without union. 

The salary of Mr. Cotton was the same as that paid 
to Mr. Hooper, viz. £115=^383 33 — this, however, 
was increased during the last few years of his ministry. 
This salary, however, during the war of 1812, and at 
other periods of his connexion with this people, was 
inadequate to his support, and he suffered severely from 
the embarrassment that unavoidably came upon him. 



MINISTRY OP MR. COTTON. 43 

Mr. Cotton attempted and effected some desirable 
changes in the early part of his ministry, in reference 
to the discipline and order of the church. The prac- 
tice of receiving members into the church upon the 
half-way covenant, was continued till the year 1817, 
when the practice seems to have been discontinued 
without any special action of the church in reference 
to it. During many years previous to Mr. Cotton's 
ministry, there had been in the Congregational church 
in New England, and especially in Massachusetts a 
gradually increasing difference of christian doctrines, — 
many of the clergy with their churches, w^ere calvinis- 
tic, adhered to the strict principles and practices of the 
puritans, while there were others who had abandoned 
the principles upon which all relied for salvation, in 
the early period of the settlement of New England. 
The system of Christian doctrine which was received 
and taught by the puritans, is embodied essentially in 
the Westminster Assembly's Catechism as was under- 
stood by the early settlers, both of Lancaster and 
Shrewsbury, to be the faith once delivered to the saints. 
At the time of the settlement of Mr. Cotton, many 
of the clergy of Massachusetts had become Armenians. 
They continued however to be one and the same de- 
nomination — were free in their exchanges, and general 
ly cordial in their fellowship. During Mr. Cotton's 
ministry, the difference in Christian views and doc- 
trines of the two parties was on the increase, and some 
of the trials of his ministry grew out of this difference 
of religious opinion. He did not claim to be a strict 
calvinist. In his views he was more in sympathy 
with the more liberal divines. Some of his church 
being strict calvinists, made known their dissent, and 
in some cases withdrew and united with other denomi- 



44 



ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 



nations, while in others they withdrew and attended 
upon the worship of God with the same denomination 
out of town. Without a regular dismission, they aban- 
doned the fellowship of the church. Ordinarily such a 
course could not be justified upon the principles of the 
Word of God ; whether it were right and Christian 
in this particular case, must be left to the decision of 
Him who shall be our final Judge, and who is too wise 
to err. 

This course of conduct on the part of some of the 
members of the church, was noticed, both by the pastor 
and his flock. Judging from the records, there appears 
to have been no hasty and rash move by either party, 
though both parties exhibited a determination that 
was absolutely immovable. 

The matter was referred first to a mutual council, 
and afterwards to an exparte council. The mutual 
council dissolved without coming to any result, — the 
exparte council came to a result which was satisfactory 
to the party which called it, but gave no satisfaction to 
the other party. The difficulty began in 1810, and 
ended in 1814. It must have been for the time being 
a severe trial to all who were in any way concerned in it. 

Subsequent to the adjustment of this difficulty, noth- 
ing of special interest appears upon the church records 
till 1825, when the pastor of the church was requested 
by seven of the brethren, to call a church meeting for 
the specified purpose of conferring upon the subject of 
his dismission from this chiu'ch. This move resulted 
in the dissolution of the pastoral relation, which took 
place, with the sanction of an ecclesiastical council, 
June 22, 1825. Mr. Cotton received of the parish, on 
his dismission, in addition to his salary, the sum of 
;§f400. For this he gave his receipt, dated the day of 



MINISTRY OP MR. COTTON. 45 



his dismission. He was the minister of this church 
and people twenty-eight years and fifteen days, and in 
the early part of his ministry followed to their graves 
some of the early settlers of this town. 

During his ministry, there were ninety-eight ad- 
missions to this church in full communion, four 
hundred and one baptisms, three hundred and six- 
ty-five deaths, and one hundred and sixty-seven marri- 
ages, exclusive of those who were married by Justices 
of the Peace. After Mr. Cotton's dismission, he con- 
tinued a citizen of the town till November, 1843, w^hen 
he expired in the seventy-fourth year of his age, a few 
months more than forty-six years after his ordination, 
and a few months more than eighteen years after his 
dismission from this church and people. As a man, 
Mr. Cotton was amiable, with strong sympathies for 
those who were in afiliction, obliging in his disposition, 
took pleasure in conferring favors, and never sought to 
give unnecessary pain and trouble to those around 
him. 

After the dismission of Mr. Cotton, the church re- 
mained without a pastor for about a year. The state 
of feelmg in the church at this time, was not perfectly 
harmonious. The conflicting doctrines which had for 
several years divided the Congregational churches of 
New England, and especially of Massachusetts, pro- 
duced among the members of this church a jealousy 
as to the faith of their next pastor. Some j)referred a 
religious teacher of the liberal school, others were more 
in sympathy with Calvin. These conflicting elements 
had been the cause of the severest trials to the church 
during the ministry of their late pastor, and his dis- 
mission by no means removed this cause of trial in the 
church. The elements of jealousy and disunion were 



46 ANNIVERSARV SERMONS, 

in their own breasts, and it was hardly within the 
bounds of possibility, certainly not within that of pro- 
bability, that the next pastor should unite these oppos- 
ing influences. 

After having different candidates, the church, with 
perfect unanimity, voted to invite Mr. Samuel Russell 
to settle with them in the Gospel ministry. The jiar- 
ish, by a very large majority, concurred with the church 
in giving this call to Mr. Russell. The salary offered 
was j^500. This call was accepted, and for the ordam- 
ing council the parties agreed to invite the Congrega- 
tional churches in Dunbarton, N. H., Berlin, Lancas- 
ter, Paxton, Leicester, Rutland, Sterling, Holden, 
Shrewsbury, Long Meadow, Northboro', and West 
Boylston. In this council were represented all the 
isms by which the Congregational church of New 
England was at that time distracted. 

If union could be secured by such a council, if any 
candidate for the ministry in Massachusetts could sat- 
isfy all, or even a respectable majority, or if the terms 
of settlement could be agreed upon, then opposites can 
be made to unite, and discord be converted into har- 
mony. The pastors of all the churches invited were 
present at the meeting of the council, with the exception 
of Dr. Harris of Dunbarton, N. H. As might have 
been predicted, the conflicting opinions of the different 
members of this council were soon manifest ; the can- 
didate was made the medium of controversy between 
them, the examination conducted with unusual warmth, 
and the foundation laid for serious future trouble to the 
pastor, to the church, the society, and the to-vvn. By 
this council Mr. Russell was ordained, June 21, 1826. 
Mr. Russell was from Bow, N. H. ; graduated at Dart- 
mouth College in 1821, and completed his theological 



SETTLEMENT OV MR, RUgSELL. 47 

course at Andover in 1824. In the winter of 1827, he 
he was married to Miss Mary J. Howe, daughter of the 
late Rev. Nathaniel Howe, of Hopkinton, in this State. 

His reUgious faith agreed, essentially, with the Short- 
er Catechism of the Westminster Assembly. When he 
entered upon the duties of pastor m this place, these 
were the doctrines which he taught. At the time of 
Mr. Russell's settlement, a division of the Consfreffa- 
tional church in New England was inevitable ; and, as 
divisions of this kind seldom, if ever, take place without 
bitterness and animosity in the two parties of the divis- 
ion — so, in this division, there was much that was op- 
posed to the true spirit of Christianity. In the early 
part of his ministry, a change was made in the Church 
Covenant ; Articles of Faith were adopted to which 
all, who united with the church in future, should as- 
sent, and to a great extent the policy of the church was 
changed. 

The great fault in Mr. Russell's character was a want 
of firmness, of decision, and of boldness in maintaining 
the position which he had conscientiously taken. This 
schism in the church, together with this defect in his 
character, was the cause of the fiery ordeal which he 
was called to pass through in this place. This town, 
like many others in eastern Massachusetts at that day, 
was deejjly agitated in this religious controversy. 
Strong feelings were aroused in almost every breast, 
bitter animosities produced, severe invectives poured 
forth, and complaints of abuse and injustice uttered by 
both of the contending parties. Crimination and re- 
crimination were made with great frequency and sever- 
ity, and, as is always the case, without any a2oproach 
to harmony. "A soft answer turneth away wrath; but 
grievous words stirreth up anger." During the whole 



48 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 



period of Mr. Russell's ministry this same controversy 
in the Congregational Churches of eastern Massachu- 
setts was going on ; churches were dividing, societies 
breaking up, clergymen defining their position, and, 
according to their sympathies, attaching themselves to 
one or the other of the conflicting parties of the denom- 
ination, fragments of churches seceding and organiz- 
ing anew, and from these discordant and contending 
elements, two distinct and separate denominations were 
forming. But few towns felt more sensibly the disas- 
trous effects of this state of the church than Boylston, 
and but few ministers were more severely tried by it 
than Mr. Russell. But this is the gloomy view of his 
ministry — the view which none can take without pain, 
and which is doubly painful to those who were the most 
intimately connected witli it. 

The bright view of the ministry of Mr. Russell, and 
to which we turn with pleasure, was the fact that it 
was at a period of powerful and extensive revivals of 
religion. Since the days of Edwards and "Whitfield, 
the churches of this country have not seen and enjoyed 
such seasons of refreshing from the Lord, as they were 
blessed with between the years 1826 and 1832. A 
cloud of mercy, at that time, gathered and extended 
itself over the whole country, and poured its showers 
of salvation upon almost every church in the land. In 
this general and copious effusion of the Holy Spirit, 
this community shared liberally. Many were pricked 
to the heart, and made to enquire, " Men and breth- 
ren, what shall we do V Many were those who rejoic- 
ed in believing, and during his short ministry one hun- 
dred and four were added to this church, ninety-nine 
by profession and five by letter. Twenty-seven of 
those who made profession, received baptism, leaving 



DISMISSION OP MR. RUSSELL. 49 

seventy-two who were baptized in infancy — a striking 
indication of the blessing of God upon infant baptism. 
The parents who united with the church under Mr. 
Russell, brought with them to the baptismal altar sixty- 
six children — twenty-six other children of former mem- 
bers of the church were baptized. His records also 
show sixty-three deaths in town and twenty-five mar- 
riages, during the period of his ministry. 

The thirteenth day of February, 1832, a communica- 
tion was presented to the parish from Mr, Russell, re- 
questing that his ministerial relation to this people 
might be dissolved. This request was granted by the 
parish, and the next day, Feb. 14th, concurred m by 
the church. The council which was invited to sanc- 
tion the action of the parish and church, assembled 
April 11, 1832, and voted that, according to his own 
request, his relation to this people should cease April 
17, 1832. Accordingly, at that time he relmquished 
his parochial charge in this place, after a ministry of 
five years, nine months, and twenty-six days. 

Of the character of Mr. Eussell, Dr. Todd, of Pitts- 
field, remarks : " In his manners and appearance he 
was simple, unaffected and kuid. I have seen him in 
situations peculiarly trying, and yet I never heard him 
make a severe or an unkmd remark about any man. 
His judgment was clear, sound, and discriminating. 
As a husband, a friend, a pastor and a brother in the 
mmistry, he was respected and beloved. His humility 
was such that he never performed those duties, to which 
most ministers soon become professionally hardened, 
without trembling. As a preacher, he was plam in 
manner and plam in matter, but he was uniformly 
judicious and practical. His talents in the pulpit were? 



50 ANNIVERSAUV SERMONS. 



not those which astonish and dazzle, but his messages 
of life were never from an mdifferent heart." 

The next September after leaving this town, he was 
installed at Norwich, in this State, where he labored 
about two years, when he sunk into a consumption and 
died Jan. 1835, with the triumphant support of the 
Gospel which he had preached.* 

*0n account of the historical character of these discourses, and the inti- 
mate connection of the subject, it was thought best to publish them in two 
Sermons, instead of four, as they were originally delivered. 



SERMON II. 



ACTS II. 4.* 



BUT PETER REHEARSED THE MATTER FROM THE BEGINNING, AND EX- 
POUNDED IT BY ORDER UNTO THEM. 

There are many of the present residents of this place 
who remember the condition of the Congregational 
churches m Eastern Massachusetts, during the ministry 
of Mr. Eussell, in this town, from the year 1826 to 
1832. The division, which is now complete, was then 
taking place. Churches, or fragments of churches, 
were seceding, leaving their former places of devotion, 
organizing anew, erecting new houses of worship, set- 
tling pastors whose theological views were more m har- 
mony with their own and making the sacrifices which 
were inseparable from these changes. 

An attending consequence upon this division was 
bitter animosity in the two parties. Both conscious 
of wrong feeling and wrong doing, and yet equally 
inclined to self-justification, and to cast blame upon 
their opponents. Almost every town and every Con- 
gregational church experienced these evils ; some slight- 
ly, others with great severity. This town, in common 
with others, was aflflicted by this division in the church. 
The most malignant passions of our depraved natures 

* For obvious reasons the texts are prefixed to these discourses for the 
purpose of giving them the form of Sermons. 



52 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

raged. Hard speeches were made, reproach, accusa- 
tions and criminations were uttered and reiterated. 
Friends became enemies, jealousies kindled in neigh- 
borhoods, and contention and strife existed in eA^ery 
section of the town. No heart was indifferent ; every 
man, woman and child was strongly in sympathy with 
one or the other of the conflicting parties, and all were 
prepared to employ influences which tended to secure 
the peculiar ends which they desired. All of this was 
in connexion with a religion that is peace and love, 
that breathes good will towards men, is not easily pro- 
voked, seeketh not her own, thinketh no evil, beareth 
all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, a re- 
ligion which requires man to love his enemies, to bless 
them that curse him, to do good to them that hate him, 
and pray for them which despitefully use him and per- 
secute him. 

Such appears to have been the state of feeling when 
Mr. Russell left, and such was the condition of society 
when I first came into the town, July 6th, 1832. I 
was at that time a stranger to every citizen of the 
tow^n of Boylston, and was also entirely ignorant of 
the severe trial that this town was passing through. 
The first man I met was the venerable Col. Bush, and 
I soon learnt, though not from his family, the difficul- 
ties of the field where God, in his providence, had 
placed me. The following Sabbath, July 8, 1 supplied 
the pulpit, and for the first time appeared before this 
people, in public, as a minister of Christ. It was the 
second Sabbath that I had ever stood in the sacred 
desk. The length of my stay here was, of course, 
a matter of great uncertainty both to myself and to 
them. I continued to supply the pulpit till the fifth 
of August. 



CALL OP THE PRESENT PASTOR. 53 

On the nintli of August, the church, without a clis- 
sentmg vote, invited me to become their pastor. Of 
the thirty-four persons who were present at that church 
meeting, only fourteen remain regular worshipers at 
this house. The remaining twenty are either in their 
graves, out of town, too infirm to attend at the house 
of God, or for some other reason, are not with us. 
The parish concurred with the church offering an an- 
nual salary of ^^foOO. I had just left a salary of ^1000 
per annum, promptly paid in quarterly instalments, 
where I was urged to remain and where all was peace 
and harmony; but left it because I felt it to be my duty 
to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This call I took 
under serious and prayerful consideration. There cer- 
tainly could have been but little that was inviting. A 
salary that I felt would not give me a full support ; a 
town torn in fragments by dissension ; a meeting-house 
by far too spacious for the small congregation of wor- 
shipers, inconvenient and uninviting in its construction, 
and yet an object of bitter controversy, and with no 
prospect, that I could see, of a favorable change. The 
only redeeming consideration was the hope and the 
probability of having a kind and an affectionate peo- 
ple. In this hope, it gives great pleasure to say, I was 
not disappointed. The insufficient salary, I felt that I 
could, in some way, make up. The warrmg elements, 
which were r-aging through the town, and which seem- 
ed to threaten the peace of any man who should oc- 
cupy so prominent a place as the pastor of the church, 
I was sure woulc^ yield to the influence of time, even if 
all other influences failed; and the meeting-house could 
be endured, at least for a season. 

Influenced by these considerations, I accepted the 
invitation, was ordained the ITtli of Oct., 18J32, twcn- 



54 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

ty years ago last Sabbath.* I resolved, in the begin- 
ning, to take no part in the controversy which was 
going on in the town. My religious sympathies were, 
of course, decidedly with the church over which I was 
installed. My religious principles I never could sacri- 
fice nor compromise. But maintaining these princi- 
ples, it was my heart's desire and prayer to God that 
peace and harmony might be restored to the town. I 
never felt for a moment that all the blame was on one 
side, but that both parties were in the fault, and would 
be likely some day to see the error of their ways, and if 
they were not inclined to make any concession, would at 
least desist from those acts of provocation, which tend- 
ed to perpetuate the difficulties. I had no party tri- 
umphs to achieve, no wrongs, either real or imaginary, 
to redress. I could approach every man in town as 
one who had had no part nor lot in the matter. 

Such were the circumstances and such the feelings 
and resolutions with which I took up my residence 
with you twenty years ago. I had always been taught 
to regard every man my friend, i. e., not hostile to me, 
till he proved himself to be my enemy, and then to al- 
low him to carry on his warfare either in words or 
deeds, either secretly or openly, without retaliation or 
resentment on my part. That is, to let him contend 

* Since the organization of this church (Oct. Gth, 1743,) it has been one 
hundred and nine years the Gth of this month (October, 1852.) During this 
period, the church has had the benefit of a settled pastor a few days more 
than one hundred and three years and eight months, and has been without a 
pastor a few days less than five years and four months. In only two instan- 
ces has it been without a pastor more than a year at the same time. Once 
after the dismission of Mr. Morse, one year four months and seventeen 
days; and again after the death of Mr. Hooper one year, six months, and 
five days. The longest ministry was that of Mr. Morse, thirty-two years 
and fifteen days ; the shortest that of Mr. Hooper, one year, eight months 
and twenty days. 



LABORS FOR PEACE IN THE TOWN. 55 

without an opponent. These principles were inculcat- 
ed into my heart in early childhood by a faithful, 
christian mother, and may God grant that I may never 
forget nor disregard them. 

I very soon became acquainted with the people of 
my own charge ; found them kind and affectionate, 
easily influenced, and really desirous of doing what 
they could to restore peace and harmony to the town. 
I also, in the early part of my ministry, became ac- 
quainted with many of those who did not sympathize 
with me in my religious views, nor attend upon my 
ministry, and I am happy to say, for I feel that it is due 
both to the dead and to the living, that I was uniform- 
ly received by them with kindness. In my calls and 
visits at their houses, I was made to feel that I was wel- 
come. My whole influence, both with my own people 
and with their opponents, was for peace ; to banish, if 
possible, from the town those petty jealousies — those 
painful contentions, and those bitter animosities, which 
so marred the moral beauty of this place, and which 
caused so much pain without accomplishing any good. 
I knew that time would be necessary to heal the deep 
wounds which had been inflicted in the sharp conflict 
that had been going on ; that men would not forget, in 
a day nor in a year, the abuse, either real or imaginary, 
which they had received of their fellow-men — yet, if all 
could be induced to adopt a more pacific course, to 
labor to sooth and not to irritate, and to dismiss their 
suspicions and jealousies, I was assured that ultimate- 
ly a desirable change, in the condition of society, 
would be accomplished. With such views and hopes, 
one important end of my labors was to move those in- 
fluences which would secure these desirable results. 
Whether the influence which I exerted, contributed to 



56 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS, 

accomplisli the end wliicli I desired, is now of small 
consequence. I rejoice that the end is so far secured; 
that so much peace and harmony exist in this town. 
For where will you find a town in which there is, at 
this time, more good feeling among the inhabitants I 
There are now, as there were formerly, diverse views, 
both on religious and political subjects, yet there is 
no contention — I think no unkind and hostile party 
feelings. Each claims for himself, and is willing to 
grant to others, perfect toleration. There is more con- 
fidence among those who differ in their views, and more 
disposition to unite their efforts for improving the con- 
dition of the town, and consequently there is more pros- 
perity, more intellectual, moral and physical improve- 
ment. 

During the last twenty years, there have been at dif- 
ferent times, in this town, different religious societies. 
In reference to these societies a pacific course has been 
uniformly adopted by the church and society worship- 
ing in this house. They cannot, with justice and truth, 
be charged with any attempt to embarrass these socie- 
ties in their movements, or with exerting any mfluence, 
directly and intentionally, against their prosperity and 
success. 

When I became the pastor of this church there were 
one hundred and forty-eight members — sixty males and 
eighty-eight females. Of these one hundred and forty- 
eight, only sixty-two continue their relation to this 
church ; eighty-six have either been called to their ac- 
count, or in some other way have been separated from 
lis. And of the sixty-two wlio still sustain a relation 
to us, only thirty-seven are resident active members, that 
is, regular and constant worshipers in this house. 

What an admonition do these facts give to us who 



S. S. LIBRARY— COMMUNION SERVICE. 57 

in the enjoyment of life and health ! How brief the 
period of twenty years, and yet what changes has this 
brief period produced ! How many houses have been 
visited with death — how many families clad in mourn- 
ing. Look back to the beginning of this brief period, 
and see who were then pursuing with you the journey 
of life ; follow, in your thoughts, the course of time, 
and again see who has fallen by the way. Every relation 
in life has been broken up; and the heart of the husband 
and the wife, the parent and the child, and the brother 
and the sister, has been made to bleed in the keenest 
anguish. 

The Sabbath School Library was then kept in a 
chest ; it consisted of about one hundred and forty vol- 
umes, many of them badly worn, and actually, when 
the torn and soiled books were excepted, not contain- 
ing as many volumes as there were pupils in the school ; 
each scholar could not have had a volume at the same 
time. The book-case which we now have is a great 
advance upon the chest, but we now need a larger case 
to contain, when conveniently arranged, our present 
library. I trust that this necessity will be provided for 
in due time. 

The next favorable change that was made by the 
church, was the purchase of a new service for the Com- 
munion table. The service which was in use in this 
church at the time of my ordination, was inconvenient, 
ordinary, antique, and insufficient. It had been in use 
many years, probably was about as old as the church, 
and was valuable mainly as a relic of former days, as 
one of the few things that had been transmitted from 
the early fathers of the church. The service which we 
now have in use was purchased by subscription, and 



58 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

the names of the more liberal subscribers are engraved 
on several of the articles which compose the service. 
The cost of it was a trifle less than eighty-five dollars. 
The church and the society felt deeply sensible of 
the evils connected with their house of worship. It 
was owned in part by persons who did not sympathize 
nor worship with them, who declined occupying their 
pews, and were thus deprived of the use of the prop- 
erty which they had vested in the house. The house 
itself was therefore a cause of division in the town^ 
and tended to perpetuate the contentions which existed 
in this place. Again, the house would soon need ex- 
tensive repairs, was too large for the congregation that 
worshipped in it, was uncomfortable and cheerless, 
afforded no convenient place for weekly meetings, was 
destitute of all the modern improvements which were 
found in other houses of worship in the vicinity, and 
destructive, on account of its construction and spa- 
ciousness, to ministerial life. That this source of divis- 
ion might be removed, and that the church and society 
might have a house suited to their wants, they deter- 
mined, m the spring of 1835, to build a new house on 
a new spot which they purchased for that purpose. A 
contract was made, and early in the spring they began 
to prepare the ground, and the building of this beauti- 
ful and convenient house was begun. From begin- 
ning to end there was remarkable harmony m all the 
movements of the parish in reference to this undertak- 
ing. The spot upon which to build, the plan of the 
house, and the style of finish, were all easily agreed 
upon, and the house went up with great ease and de- 
spatch, because there were unity and energy among 
those who were engaged in the work. The house wa& 
finished and furnished, with all its appurtenances, by 



PALE OF THE OLD MEETING-HOUSE. 59 



the 10th of December, 1835, when it was solemnly 
dedicated to Almighty God. 

So harmonious were the society in this movement, 
that only eight parish meetings were held for the pur- 
pose of transacting all the business connected with the 
building of the house, from the beginning till the final 
settlement. When the first house of worship was built 
in this town, the early settlers of the precinct, though 
hannonious, held not less than fourteen precinct meet- 
ings for commencing and completing the house. The 
building of the next house, which was first brought 
before the town in 1791, was the occasion of about 
twenty town meetings by adjournment or otherwise, 
and also the occasion of a division in the parish and 
the church, and finally of a division in town. But the 
erection of this house, instead of causing a division in 
the town or parish, was rather directly or indirectly the 
means of union and harmony. The old house was 
removed, when this was finished, because it was no 
longer needed, and thus one fruitful source of contro- 
versy in the town was taken away. The parish, relin- 
quishing all their right in the house to the pew owners, 
left the whole thing in the most favorable condition 
for an amicable arrangement. The house was finally 
sold, and the amount for which it was sold apportioned 
among the owners of the pews, in a manner, I believe, 
satisfactory to all. This being done, the town and the 
opposing parties of the town had an opportunity to 
reflect upon the past, and resolve in reference to the 
future. Keflection could not fail of impressing upon 
their minds that no good resulted from contention, but 
that it was the source of pain and regret to all who 
were engaged in it. It aftbrds no enjoyment to the 
contending parties at the time, neither does it afibrd 



60 ANNIVRRSARV SEUMONg!. 

any when they review it in after life, or from the bed 
of death ; while resolutions for peace and harmony 
cannot fail of affording that peace of mind and con- 
science which is above all price. 

During these 20 years, God has not left this church 
without manifest tokens of his favor. We have fre- 
quently heard the enquirer asking what he should do 
to be saved — we have also heard the young convert 
rejoicing in believing on the Lord Jesus Christ, and in 
hoping for eternal life through faith in his name. One 
hundred and thirty-five have been added to this church 
in this period ; forty-seven males and eighty-eight 
females — one hundred and ten by profession, and 
twenty-five by letter. Of these, eleven have already 
gone into the eternal world to test the reality of their 
Christian faith. Some of them gave very satisfactory 
evidence that they died in the Lord — that for them to 
die was gain, and to depart was to depart to be with 
Christ. They left behind them to their Christian 
friends a rich source of consolation in the evidence 
which they gave that they were the true followers of 
the Saviour. When we think of these accessions to 
this branch of Zion, let us rejoice and give thanks to 
God for such manifestations of his grace in having 
brought so many to renounce their sins and professedly 
to put on Christ. And again, when we think of them, 
let us humble ourselves before God, in view of our 
unfaithfulness — our neglect of the appointed means of 
salvation, and by our neglect allowing so many, whom 
we might instrumen tally have saved, to go on in the 
way of death. Give God the glory for all that has been 
done for the salvation of souls in this place, and for the 
building up of this church, and take to ourselves shame 
and confusion of face that no more has been done. 



THE MARRIAGE RELATON. (jj 



I have also, since my ordination in this place, offici- 
ated at ninety-one weddings. The bond of union then 
formed was as strong as life, nothing but death could 
innocently break it asunder, but death, which levels 
all earthly distinctions, and breaks all earthly ties, has 
also been busy in destroying these matrimonial bonds. 
No less than twelve of those whom I so recently de- 
clared to be husband and wife, are now in their graves ; 
their companions have watched over them in their last 
sickness and their dying conflict, and followed them to 
the house appointed for all the living. Some of these 
couples have become parents, but have hardly looked 
upon the pledges of their mutual love, when God, in 
his righteous but mysterious providence, has smitten 
the dear objects of their fondest hopes, and left them 
to feel the anguish of parental bereavement. Some 
have repeatedly been called to drop the tear of parental 
affection upon the graves of their children. But, my 
fiiends, this is only the beginning of sorrow. The 
same grim messenger, who has so early begun his work, 
will never be satisfied till the last of these matrimonial 
bands is broken, till the last husband has wept at the 
grave of his wife, or the last wife has wept at the grave 
of her husband. Of these ninety-one couples, nineteen 
are regular worshipers m this house ; the tie which 
unites them is still unbroken ; but remember, my dear 
friends, the fraility and brevity of that bond and make 
it the object of your future life to be prepared for its 
dissolution, and for a place in that world where they 
neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the 
angels of God m heaven. 

We have just looked at the additions to this church, 
let us now look at the removals. During the last 
twenty years, one hundred and forty-nine members have 



62 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

been separated from this branch of Zion, fifty-one by 
death and ninety-eight by vote of the church. We dis- 
miss about four times as many as we receive by letter. 
It would require, therefore, an unusal state of spiritual 
prosperity to keep our numbers good. Had we receiv- 
ed four times as many as we have dismissed, instead of 
the reverse, our present number would have exceeded 
five hundred, and we should have been the largest 
church in the State except four. 

The number of baptisms administered in this church 
during this period is one hundred and forty-five, twenty- 
four adults and one hundred and twenty-one infants. 
More than three-fourths of those who have made a pro- 
fession of their faith in Christ during the last twenty 
years, received baptism in infancy — thus manifesting 
the approbation of God upon this institution, and re- 
buking those who deny to their offspring this seal of 
the covenant. 

The number of deaths m this town since October 17, 
1832, is two hundred and fifty, averaging twelve and a 
half per year, which is less than one and a half per cent, 
per annum of our population, and less than twenty- 
eight per cent, of our population for the entire twenty 
years. This fact indicates an unusual degree of health, 
and should call forth from our hearts the most lively 
gratitude to God for this distinguishing mercy. But 
though the amount of health has been great, and that 
of sickness and death comparatively small, yet it has 
been sufficient to warn us of our own mortality, of the 
mortality of our friends, of our liability to affliction, 
and of our need of being prepared to meet our God. 

These two hundred and fifty deaths have clad this 
town in sackcloth ; almost, if not quite, every house in 
its turn, has been made a house of mourning. Every 



THE PlAOli'V OF TIME— SCHOOL!^. (>3 



heart has been made to bleed, every eye to weep. Could 
these two hundred and fifty persons now be summoned 
to stand before us, we should see among them some 
who were the most valuable citizens of this town ; 
parents would see among them their children, and chil- 
dren their parents ; husbands would see their wives and 
wives their husbands ; brothers and sisters would see 
each other ; fiiend would see friend, and relative, rela- 
tive. But, my friends, they will not return to us, but 
we shall go to them. The next twenty years will re- 
move other hundreds, and this work of death will con- 
tinue till the last person who now occupies a seat in 
this house shall have gone, till the places which now 
know us shall know us no more, till those who are 
now unborn, shall be the members of this church, and 
shall contemplate our history as we contemplate the 
history of those who lived and died before we were 
born. When we look at this flight of time, and the 
work of death which it has accomplished, we may well 
remark, "What is your life^ it is even a vapor which 
appcareth for a little time and then vanisheth away." 
When we read history, generations pass away like 
dreams, the children follow the fathers in such rapid 
succession that we hardly have time to look at them be- 
fore they are gone, and others are in their places pass- 
ing away with the same rapidity. 

During the last twenty years I have also been inti- 
mately acquainted with the state of our Schools, and 
though the history of common schools is not a history 
of the church, nor necessarily connected with it, yet, 
ministerial life in this Commonwealth is so ultimately 
associated with the education of the young, that it is 
not out of place to allude to this subject at this time. 
Next to my interest hi the cause of Christ, and the ad- 



64 ANNIVERSARV SERMONS. 

vancement of piety in the church, has been my inter- 
est in the education of your children. My connection 
with the schools has brought under my supervision 
all the youth of this place for the last twenty years. 
Those whom I never saw at the house of God, I have 
met in the school-room, and those whom I was not al- 
lowed to instruct in the peculiarities of my own faith, 
I could exhort to repentance and to a faithful improve- 
ment of their advantages for education; I could tell them 
of the brevity and uncertainty of life, of the swiftness 
with which youth passes away, of the benefits of right 
principles and right practices in after life, and especial- 
ly of the indispensable necessity of a good English ed- 
ucation, if they would occupy, in life, places of useful- 
ness, respectability and trust. I have made, during the 
period of my residence with you, more than five hun-. 
dred visits to your schools, where I have met your chil- 
dren, endeavored to give a right direction to their 
thoughts, suggest to your teachers whatever I thought 
would contribute to the good of their pupils, and as 
well as I knew how, I have given them a word of en- 
couragement, to prompt them to habits of industry and 
virtue. Sometimes I have failed of visiting the schools 
as often as I desired, and have sometimes been absent at 
the final examination, but never without urgent neces- 
sity, and deep regret. My duties on the School Com- 
mittee, though sometimes exceedingly trying and per- 
plexing, bringing me in dh'ect and unavoidable conflict 
with those who are my friends, and exposing myself to 
reproach and abuse, yet in many respects these duties 
have been among the most pleasing and interesting 
which have devolved upon me. May the Lord bless 
the children in our schools, and make the schools bless- 
ings to them and to the community. 



PASTORAL VISITS. 65 



The pastoral duties of this place are not so arduous 
as they are in more extensive and more populous pa- 
rishes, and yet, even here, they are by no means small. 
None but a minister of Christ knows any thing of the 
amount of labor which is connected with this depart- 
ment of ministerial duty. I have intended to meet 
every family who belong to this congregation, at 
least, once a year, and to call upon other families in 
town, where I had reason to believe that a call would 
be acceptable, as often as my other duties would per- 
mit. This department of duty is far from being irk- 
some, and I have always entered upon it cheerfully and 
with pleasure when the press of other duties would al- 
low, and I am happy to add that you have never failed 
to do your part to make these calls pleasant to me; 
I have felt at home when I have been with you at 
your own fire-sides. In my visits to the sick I have 
generally confined myself to those who worshiped 
in this house, though I have always been happy to 
visit others in their sickness when desired, or when I 
had sufficient evidence that it would be acceptable. 
The instruction of the apostle on this point is this : " Is 
any sick among you ^ let him call for the elders of the 
church." This text makes it the duty of the sick, or 
of the families to which they belong, to request the at- 
tendance of the pastor. Were this duty observed, the 
pastor would always be informed on the subject, and 
many instances of apparent neglect, in which he is 
ignorant of the sickness of his people, would be avoid- 
ed. The visits and calls, which I haye made since 
my settlement with you, may be receded by thou- 
sands. 

During the twenty years which 1 am now reviewing, 



66 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

I have supplied this pulpit, either in person, by ex- 
change or otherwise, one thousand and twenty-eight 
Sabbaths, and have left it vacant, or to be supplied by 
the Parish Committee, fifteen Sabbaths. It was a con- 
dition in my settlement, understood and assented to by 
the committee who were chosen by the Parish to nego- 
tiate Avith me before my ordination, that I should be 
entitled to two Sabbaths each year, which would give 
me forty Sabbaths in twenty years. My practice has 
been never to leave you without a supply, without the 
most urgent necessity. I have preached to this people, 
either in person, or by supplies procured by exchange 
or otherwise, two thousand and ninety-four sermons. 
On the fifteen Sabbaths which I have left the pulpit 
vacant, you have been supplied, either gratuitously or 
otherwise without any expense to me, four Sabbaths ; 
and the pulpit has been without any supply eleven 
Sabbaths. On two of these fifteen Sabbaths, I have 
been prevented from supplying the pulpit by sickness, 
and have been abroad, visiting my friends or otherwise 
detained out of town, thii-teen Sabbaths. 

In my preaching, I have not shunned to declare unto 
you what I regarded the whole counsel of God, and 
have kept back nothing which I thought would be pro- 
fitable unto you. Testifying repentance towards God 
and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, I have never 
modified the doctrines which I have advanced to suit 
any man's particular taste, or to make them harmonize 
with any man's particular views. My design has been 
to preach unto you Jesus Christ and him crucified — an 
all-sufficient Savior, able to save to the uttermost all 
who come to him ; waiting to be gracious, not willing 
that any should perish, showing mercy unto thousands 



CHANGES IN THE TOWN. 67 

who love him and keep his commandments ; but who 
will by no means clear the guilty, and who will say 
to the wicked at the last day, Depart, ye cursed, 
into everlasting jfire, prepared for the devil and his 
angels. 

During this period, this church has been mvited to 
sit on forty-one councils, and fourteen different breth- 
ren have been chosen as delegates to attend these coun- 
cils. One of these fourteen has been chosen delegate 
six times — four have been chosen five times each — one 
has been chosen three times — five have been chosen 
twice each, and three have been chosen once each. 
Whether it be regarded a privilege or a burden, the 
duty of attending councils as delegates has been dis- 
tributed as generally in the church as we could ex- 
pect. 

In conclusion, permit me to call your attention to 
the striking changes which, in the brief period of 
twenty years, have transpired around us. I have al- 
ready alluded to these changes, though not as particu- 
larly as I desire. We have all advanced twenty years 
in life, our families have advanced with us, and soci- 
ety and the world have also advanced. We are twenty 
years nearer the grave and the eternal world, have 
twenty years less of probation in which to prepare for 
death, and have twenty years more of probation to 
account for at the judgment seat. If we look at our 
families, and the circle of our friends and relatives, 
what changes, both painful and joyful, do we notice; 
if we look at society, we cannot fail of seeing changes, 
and the very face of nature around us presents to us a 
different aspect from what it did twenty years ago. 
Forests have disappeared, new buildings have been 



6S Ax\i\IVERSARy SERMONS. 

erected, old buildings have been destroyed or improved, 
and the very roads we travel have been changed in 
their location, in some parts of their course, in almost 
every direction, from the centre to the confines of the 
town. If we enter the different dwellings in town, 
there too is change ; those who once greeted us are 
there no more ; they have either been called to their 
account, or for some reason have changed their abodes, 
and the places which they once filled are now filled by 
others. Or if we find in the same dwellings the same 
families, still how changed are these families ! They 
have advanced twenty years in life, are composed of 
different members, and are in different circumstances. 
Some who were then in active life, are now decrepit 
through age, or disabled by the power of protracted 
disease ; youth have reached middle life ; and those 
who were then young children have now become pa- 
rents. 

If you look around you, you see that death has been 
busy in almost every house. Of those who were then 
seventy, not one remains to represent the generation to 
which he belonged. In one house you may find the 
widow with her fatherless children ; the husband and 
father is here no more ; in death he bid them adieu, 
and commended them to the protection of the God of 
the widow and the fatherless. For years he had pur- 
sued the journey of life with them, for them he had 
labored, for them he had planned ; he had counseled 
them, warned them, cheered them, wept with them, 
and prayed for and with them. He loved them, and 
lived only to help them on to glory. In another house, 
the wife and mother has been called to pass through 
the dark vallev. The husband and father finds himself 



REFLECTIONS ON DEATH. ()9 

a widower, and his children motherless. Well do they 
remember the sweet accents of conjugal and maternal 
love ; but the tongue that uttered those accents, and 
the heart which cherished that love, have ceased to act. 
In sickness the wife and mother will no more smooth 
the pillow, administer the nauseous but necessary 
draught, and by day and by night watch in anxious 
solicitude by the bedside ; she will no more wipe the 
tear from the eye, nor soothe the troubled and sorrow- 
ing heart. She has uttered the last words of counsel 
and of sympathy, and given the last expression of con- 
jugal and maternal affection. 

In another house, the vacancy which you notice, and 
which every member of the family feels continually, 
though every feeling is a pang, was occasioned by the 
death of a child — a beloved son or daughter. Parental 
affection had watched over his infancy, listened with 
parental fondness to the prattlings of childhood, pro- 
tected and counseled him in youth — had seen him 
ripen into manhood with increasing love — enjoyed his 
society, bore his frailties, wept over his faults and his 
trials, and looked forward in hope to his future success 
and prosperity, and to the faithful and grateful return 
of filial love ; when, in the mysterious providence of 
God, the messenger of death blasted all these fond 
hopes, changed the countenance and sent away the 
dear object of their fondest regard, and inflicted a 
wound upon the parent's heart which time can never 
heal. Some, who are here before me, have, in this 
brief period, followed both their parents to the house 
appointed for all the livmg, parents who loved them, 
with whom are their earliest, most tender, and most 
endearing associations, who wept with them when 



70 ANNIVERSARY SERMONS. 

they wept, and rejoiced with them when they rejoiced, 
and in whose hearts they felt sure of finding love and 
affection, though all other hearts should grow cold. 
Changes like these you find in almost every house and 
sorrows like these you find in almost every heart. 
Twenty years have passed away, and these, my friends, 
are the memorials which mark its progress. 

But look at this congregation. Where are those 
venerable forms which once occupied these seats — those 
who blessed us Avith their counsels and bowed with us 
in prayer around this altar, twenty years ago ; who 
viewed, with such deep interest, every thing which 
afiected the prosperity of this church and this society, 
those who, with their own hands, helped us rear this 
house, whose names are engraved upon the different 
articles of your communion service, and whose hands 
were once with us on the table of the Lord ] Where are 
James Longley, Benj. Houghton, Col. Bush, Gershom 
JEames, Thos. Bond, Oliver Sawyer, David Barnes, Aaron 
White, Nathaniel Brigham, Joseph Tilton, Ethan Smith, 
Stephen Flagg, and Dea. Flagg, together with those 
women who helped us in the Lord] Names with which 
are associated in my mind many of the most interesting 
incidents of my connection with this people, and with 
which must be associated, in your minds, even from 
your earliest childhood, the most important interests of 
this church, society and town. But they have gone, 
and the places which once knew them, will know them 
no more forever. 

Another twenty years has now begun, which will 
soon be reckoned in the past, and he who reviews it 
will find many of the places occupied by those whom I 
now address, occupied by those who shall come after us, 



CONCLUDING REMARKS. 71 



while many of you, my friends, will be named as those 
who once filled these places, but are here no longer. 
May the God of all grace sanctify to each of us this 
review of the past, and may we be admonished by it to 
be prepared for those solemn scenes which are before 
us in the future, and for a place in those mansions 
where these sad and painful changes can never come. 






A3 



